Penoyre House, Grade II* listed country house in Yscir, Wales
Penoyre House is a country mansion built in Italianate style from Bath stone, featuring three stories with detailed cornices and ornamental lion masks in the stonework. The building sits at 242 meters elevation and showcases the residential architecture typical of its era.
Architect Anthony Salvin designed this Italianate mansion between 1846 and 1848 for Colonel J. L. V. Watkins, a Liberal politician who represented Brecon in Parliament. Ownership later passed to Sir Anthony Cleasby, marking a shift in the building's association and continued importance.
The mansion houses grand staircases, formal reception areas, and a ballroom decorated with ornate plasterwork that reflects how wealthy Victorian families entertained and lived. These rooms show the way people of status displayed their position through architectural design and social gatherings.
This Grade II* listed building has strict protections in place, so external modifications or repairs need formal approval from local authorities. Visitors should contact ahead to confirm access arrangements, as the house is not a public museum with set opening hours.
The house stood empty during the early 1870s before Sir Anthony Cleasby purchased it in 1874, bringing new life to the property. This gap in occupation reveals how the fate of country estates often depended on finding committed owners to maintain them.
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