Llanelly House has been a derelict mess in the centre of the town of Llanelli, for nearly a hundred years. Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen hosted a programme on BBC Wales exploring its renovation and restoration over the past ten years. A fascinating programme revealing Renaissance painting on the wooden panel above the fireplace, and cobbles under the foundations, revealing the house had an unknown Tudor predecessor.
With a spend of £7million, this house needs to find its niche and become self-sustaining into the future to ensure it is well maintained for future generations to enjoy.
In a few months time, there are plans for a high-tech genealogy room where visitors can research their ancestry, but in the meantime there are free guided tours of the ground floor, with a charge for the other floors.
Sir Thomas Stepney, a shipping magnate, and his wife Lady Elizabeth lived here around 1714, and the house has been remodelled to this time period. All the victorian "improvements" have been removed. Solid walls replaced with steel pillars and walls of glass to create victorian shop fronts have now been taken down and the solid walls and smaller rooms recreated.
The roof, a series of 'v's was costly to replace, but was originally designed to give the impression from the ground of a building with a flat roof. The top line of the building was highlighted with a series of bathstone urns which had to be renovated and strengthened.
In the local archives is an inventory of items in the house at 1764. Compiled by Sir Thomas himself, the list has, in pride of place, an armorial tea service. A copy of their coat of arms would have been despatched to China and, in time, the crates of china would have been returned, emblazoned with their personal arms.
Llanelli town centre is being renovated to a cost of £60 million, with Llanelly House as its centrepiece.
Click below to see images of the restoration.
With a spend of £7million, this house needs to find its niche and become self-sustaining into the future to ensure it is well maintained for future generations to enjoy.
In a few months time, there are plans for a high-tech genealogy room where visitors can research their ancestry, but in the meantime there are free guided tours of the ground floor, with a charge for the other floors.
Sir Thomas Stepney, a shipping magnate, and his wife Lady Elizabeth lived here around 1714, and the house has been remodelled to this time period. All the victorian "improvements" have been removed. Solid walls replaced with steel pillars and walls of glass to create victorian shop fronts have now been taken down and the solid walls and smaller rooms recreated.
The roof, a series of 'v's was costly to replace, but was originally designed to give the impression from the ground of a building with a flat roof. The top line of the building was highlighted with a series of bathstone urns which had to be renovated and strengthened.
In the local archives is an inventory of items in the house at 1764. Compiled by Sir Thomas himself, the list has, in pride of place, an armorial tea service. A copy of their coat of arms would have been despatched to China and, in time, the crates of china would have been returned, emblazoned with their personal arms.
Llanelli town centre is being renovated to a cost of £60 million, with Llanelly House as its centrepiece.
Click below to see images of the restoration.
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