The Grade II listed Elizabethan manor in the middle of this court battle is Llanwenarth House in the idyllic valley of Usk near Abergavenny, the subject of a nasty row in court is over the modernisation of the interior.
There is a lot of history behind this beautiful mansion, the Irish poet and composer Cecil Alexander was so inspired by the surroundings that she wrote the famous hymn ‘All things bright and beautiful, the line of ‘purple-headed mountain refers to the nearby Sugar Loaf peaks, while the river running by is about the the River Usk which winds close the mansions grounds.
Millionaire owner Mr Davies has won a right to ban inspectors of planning from snooping around his home, due to the planning and conservation officials fearing that the owner has given the home a makeover too modern and tacky described as a footballers wife pad. The inspectors have made up to 20 visits, but Mr Davies had refused their requests for a historian of architecture to inspect the manor.
The house is currently on the market for £ 2.25 million; Mr Davies a self-made millionaire purchased the house in 2007 for £675,000 and has since spent more than a million on it. He has admitted that the new kitchen and bathrooms were installed but claims the work falls outside the restrictions on listed buildings, officials were called in which may have damaged the history and a ban has been made to put a hold on any further work.
Mr Davies told the court that he had always complied with the regular visits of inspections by the officials of the National Park. But it got to a point that enough was enough and an application was opposed to enter the property. After a lot of toing and froing the warrant to enter the property was refused and Mr Davies was awarded £500 costs.
After this case, Mr Davies has said that I was always welcoming to the people of the National Park when they wanted to visit but as it is my home there has to be a regulation to the number of times that they want to have a look round.
A local estate agent has described that much of the homes character still remains yet the ample home also personifies com fort and easy living.
An Englishmans home is his castle only in Mr Davies case its a Welshmans home.
Fiona Davies is a director at The Property Fairy.
She has worked in the land and property sector for the last ten years.
All articles on the website are written uniquely by her.
This article is copyright free.