Extent: New Historic build lodge and extension, following 17th century Etching.
The site at Llan y Maen, just across the Welsh border from Oswestry sits in a secluded valley and on a site that stretches back through Welsh history. Einion Efell, Lord of Cynllaith, resided at Llwyn y Maen. He was an illegitimate son of Madog ab Meredydd, the last Prince of Powys who died 1160 the house was passed through successive generations of the Lloyd family. Richard Lloyd of Llwyn y Maen, who died in 1509, left Llwyn y Maen to his second son Edward. By the late seventeenth century the house was in the ownership of Sir Williams, Bart., ancestor of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 11th Baronet of Wynnstay.
The house, despite its long history, was not listed. The building was mostly nineteenth century with an eighteenth century south wing. An intriguing drawing of the sixteenth century house survived on a seventeenth century family tree of the Lloyd family which showed a typical late medieval manor house with side wings and garderobes beneath projecting gables.
The brief was to redesign the nineteenth century brick rear of the building to form a new entrance façade. This followed on from earlier landscape works including a new drive and entrance lodge. The design of this new front was based on seventeenth century examples using local materials. The large blocks of coursed rubble stone were sourced on the estate and the cut stone dressings to the mullioned windows, hood mouldings, string courses and copings came from the quarry at Llangollen. Traditional construction techniques were used throughout including gauged lime mortar, lead cane casement windows with iron ferramata and cast iron rain water goods.
The lodge was completed by Harry Whittaker in 2004 with the designs for the new wing left with the client to complete in his own time. The project came to fruition in 2015 creating a beautifully historic country home and lodge.