Architecture & History
Architecture
Nicholaus Pevsner, the renowned architect, described the house as:
"Quite a sizeable three-storeyed double-pile block, the S front of five regular bays with angle quoins. The three-bay E (entrance) front, clearly built at the same time, is by contrast an eccentric composition. Glazed windows in the centre bay only, and a small timber porch on Doric columns carrying an elegant iron balcony."
South front of Llancayo House
The Llancayo House estate belonged to Edward ap Jenkin who lived there in 1535 and he was also a tenant of land belonging to the Chantery of the Trinity in Usk Church. Edward ap Jenkin is a descendent of Howel Gam ap David, Lord of Penhros Fwrdios in 1326 from whom descend the Addams-Williams of Llangybi and other families.
The great grandson of Edward ap Jenkin, William Powell
squandered the estate and in 1697 the Llancayo Estate
became the property of Sir Hopton Williams. At the
beginning of the 19th century, Edward Berry bought the
estate and built onto the old house the present Georgian
façade (Bradney's History of Monmouthshire).
Mr Edward Berry was a prestigious velvet merchant who
worked with his partners Mr Robert Vaux and Mr Bloom
(forename unknown) in Spital Square, London (Kent's
Directory 1794).
We have been told that Edward Berry had made his first fortune in the mid 1700's in Yorkshire (where he was born) but had lost it gambling. He made his second fortune in the textile industry and married a Huguenot lady in London. They had a child named Emily. Tragically, when visiting her relatives in France at the time of the Revolution, she was guillotined. Edward Berry escaped with Emily.
We are very keen to know more about this story and would be pleased to receive details to substantiate it. Please contact us if you have any interesting information about Edward Berry and his wife.
He retired and moved to Wales with his daughter Emily. From 1800, they lived in Llancayo House, which formed part of an estate of 312 acres and included a windmill.
After Edward Berry's death in 1818 (his tomb is in St. Mary's Church, Usk), the house was inherited by Emily Berry's husband the Reverend John Jones of Langstone Court, Herefordshire. A fire in 1825 destroyed the windmill's sails and the working components but the remains are still standing and it is noted to be a local landmark.
During WWII the house was used as a convalescent hospital and some patients engraved their names in the lead covered access to the roof.