North Cornelly; The Hall

Description

A modest late medieval manorial stronghouse and court of quadrangular form enclosed by substantial walls, probably of 14th-century date. The original layout consisted of two storeyed wings set at right angles to form the S. and E. ranges of an enclosed court closed on the N. and S. sides by strong walls which were removed when new buildings were raised in the 18th century. (RCAHMW)

The former farmhouse lies in the midst of suburban development at the end of a driveway opening between Nos 33 and 35 Hall Drive.
In the early C16 the property belonged to John Turbervill of Tythegston, and was later inherited by the Herberts of Swansea. The house is built on a platform site and incorporates part of a medieval tower-house at the E end, which was extended to the W and NW in the late C16 - early C17 when the storeyed porch was added, together with a new S front. Rear wing is an addition of the C18, containing kitchen and services. The house was partly remodelled and reglazed in the mid C19.
The original 'tower' has thick battered walls with blocked openings, and probably includes the mural stair on the E gable end of the house. The front entrance leads to the stair hall, which has a moulded cornice, and architraved doorcases, and a fine dog-leg stair with shaped bracketed treads and wreathed handrail. Stone pointed arch at the rear. Passage at the rear side of the axial stack, outside the original structure, leads to the dining room in the central bay, with reeded moulded architraves and fielded panelling to the end wall, extending around the deep alcove in the former porch. The living room in the E bay, has a Sutton stone splayed 2-centred chamfered arch opening to a straight flight stone stair at side of stack. This may originally have served the tower-house. Kitchen in the rear wing.
Built of local rubble stonework, rendered and colourwashed to the front and ends, but removed from the front of the gabled porch. Slate roof. Two storey 3-bay main block aligned E-W, with a rear wing on the W and lean-to additions on the rear and in the re-entrant angle. Two and 3-light paned timber windows with pointed heads, but one C16 -C17 2-light window to the upper part of the stair at the E end, with hollow chamfered Elizabethan arched heads, triangular spandrels and hood with square label stops. Similar single-light window head in the E face of the upper floor of the storeyed porch. Entrance by a part-glazed door set under a lean-to pent roof to the W of the porch. Various windows at the rear and to the rear wing. Three tall stone stacks. The substantial tower-house lay at the E end, set back from the main front, but has been largely demolished. Below is a stone-vaulted chamber, perhaps a wine cellar of the C17 or C18, and believed to have a tunnel to Margam Abbey. (Listed Building Report)

The Hall, North Cornelly, is a 16th century house. Alongside, to the south-east, is a yard partly defined by the substantial remains of a former fortified house consisting of a thick Medieval wall, indicating three sides of a former tower house. The fourth side was presumably removed when the house was built. It is no doubt the home of the Cornelly family, resident here since before 1208, and later of the Turbervilles of Penllyn, who probably built the house. (Spurgeon and Thomas)

"house, which preserves three walls of the mediaeval tower house plus its external staircase, which was incorporated into the house proper when it was first extended during the 13th and 14th centuries." (Information from the current owner - 2008)