Falcondale House

Falcondale House is a historic country house and hospitality property located approximately one mile north-west of Lampeter in Ceredigion, south-west Wales. The building is Grade II listed and currently operates as the Falcondale Mansion Hotel. Its identity combines the heritage of a nineteenth-century Welsh estate with the services of a country-house hotel. The property forms part of the former Peterswell estate. From the seventeenth century, the estate was associated first with the Evans family and later with the Lloyd family. Financial difficulties and absentee ownership contributed to a period in which the house was left unoccupied and fell into disrepair. In 1812, Richard Hart-Davis acquired the estate. He planted several hundred thousand trees and may also have rebuilt or substantially altered the house. The property subsequently became connected with the Harford family through Hart-Davis's daughter Louisa, who married John Scandrett Harford, an author and art collector. After Hart-Davis encountered financial problems, the estate passed in 1819 to John Scandrett Harford and his brother Abraham Grey Harford-Battersby. It later came to John Battersby Harford, who commissioned the architect Talbot Bury to redesign the house in an Italianate style in 1859. Harford lived at Falcondale with his wife, Charlotte de Bunsen, daughter of Baron de Bunsen. The estate remained within the Harford family for subsequent generations. Following John Battersby Harford's death in 1875, ownership passed to his son John Charles Harford, who, like his father, served as High Sheriff of Cardiganshire. John Charles Harford was created a baronet in 1934 but died shortly afterward. Because his eldest son, John Henry, had been killed at Thiepval during the First World War, the property passed to his younger son, George Arthur, the second baronet. The historic estate was substantially repurposed during the twentieth century. In 1951, the house was sold to Cardiganshire County Council and used as a retirement home. Much of the surrounding land was disposed of. Around 1975, the building was sold to H. L. Smith for conversion into a hotel. Since 2000, it has been owned and operated as a hotel by Chris and Lisa Hutton. Falcondale's heritage extends beyond the main house. Its nineteenth-century coach house, probably built around the 1859 rebuilding, consists of a courtyard with a two-storey coach house flanked by single-storey wings. The coach house, North Lodge and Falcondale Home Farm are separately recognised as Grade II listed estate buildings. Together, these structures preserve the character of a Victorian country estate. The property also has an association with systems theorist and management thinker Stafford Beer. In July 1994, Beer delivered nine talks at the hotel. The recordings became known collectively as the Falcondale Collection and were made available as an online video learning resource through the data repository of Liverpool John Moores University. Falcondale House therefore functions both as a heritage hotel and as a site connected with a notable educational archive.

Falcondale House stands on the former Peterswell estate near Lampeter in Ceredigion. The estate was held by the Evans family and later by the Lloyd family from at least the seventeenth century. Financial problems and absentee ownership eventually left the property vacant and deteriorating. Richard Hart-Davis acquired the estate in 1812. He planted several hundred thousand trees and may have rebuilt or substantially reconstructed the house. His daughter Louisa married John Scandrett Harford, an author and art collector. When Hart-Davis later experienced financial difficulties, the estate passed in 1819 to his son-in-law and to Harford's brother, Abraham Grey Harford-Battersby. Ownership subsequently passed to John Battersby Harford. In 1859, John Battersby Harford commissioned architect Talbot Bury to redesign the house in an Italianate style. He lived there with his wife, Charlotte de Bunsen, whose father was Baron de Bunsen. After Harford died in 1875, the property passed to his son John Charles Harford. John Charles, like his father, served as High Sheriff of Cardiganshire. He was made a baronet in 1934 but died soon afterward. His eldest son, John Henry, had been killed at Thiepval during the First World War, so the estate passed to his younger son, George Arthur, the second baronet. The estate entered public ownership in 1951, when the house was sold to Cardiganshire County Council for use as a retirement home. Most of the land was sold or otherwise disposed of. Around 1975, H. L. Smith acquired the building and converted it into a hotel. Since 2000, the property has been owned and run as a hotel by Chris and Lisa Hutton. The estate's associated buildings preserve important elements of its nineteenth-century layout. The coach house was probably constructed around 1859, when the main house was redesigned. It has a yard, a two-storey coach house and single-storey wings. The coach house, North Lodge and Falcondale Home Farm are all Grade II listed buildings. Falcondale House also became associated with an educational archive in 1994. In July of that year, Stafford Beer gave nine talks at the hotel. The sessions were recorded and later known as the Falcondale Collection, an online video learning resource held through the data repository of Liverpool John Moores University.

• 2000

  Hutton ownership and operation

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Chris and Lisa Hutton became the owners and operators of the hotel.

• 1994

  Falcondale Collection recordings

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Stafford Beer delivered nine talks at the hotel, which were recorded and later assembled as the Falcondale Collection.

• 1975

  Hotel conversion

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The building was sold to H. L. Smith around this time for conversion into a hotel.

• 1951

  Conversion to a council retirement home

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Cardiganshire County Council acquired the house and used it as a retirement home; much of the estate land was disposed of.

• 1859

  Italianate redesign

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  John Battersby Harford commissioned architect Talbot Bury to redesign the house in an Italianate style.

• 1819

  Estate passes into the Harford family connection

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Following Hart-Davis's financial difficulties, the property passed to John Scandrett Harford and Abraham Grey Harford-Battersby.

• 1812

  Hart-Davis acquires the estate

  [1]Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Richard Hart-Davis acquired the Peterswell estate, planted extensive numbers of trees and may have rebuilt the house.

A Welsh historic-house hotel positioned around architectural heritage, country-estate character and hospitality near Lampeter.

• Hotel accommodation

  Falcondale Mansion Hotel

  The principal hospitality offering of Falcondale House is its operation as a mansion hotel. The hotel uses the former country house as a heritage setting near Lampeter, combining accommodation and estate character with the architectural significance of a Grade II listed building.

• Heritage property

  Falcondale estate buildings

  The wider historic property includes the nineteenth-century coach house, North Lodge and Falcondale Home Farm. These buildings are Grade II listed and contribute to the site's identity as a preserved Welsh country estate.

1. 1Falcondale Houseen.wikipedia.org