Moynes Court

Moynes Court stands in the village of Mathern, Monmouthshire, about five kilometres south-west of Chepstow. It is a Grade II* listed building whose oldest parts date from the early 17th century. The house is built mainly of local limestone with Bath stone dressings and has a symmetrical front of five bays. A steep gable-ended roof and central porch give it a trim appearance. Earthworks around the house mark the remains of an earlier moated manor and a 14th-century gatehouse. The house was rebuilt for Francis Godwin, Bishop of Llandaff, around 1609–10. Its gatehouse is also Grade II* listed and the garden appears on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens. The Morgan and Hughes families later owned the estate, and in the 19th century it became the seat of Charles Edward Lewis. During the First World War the house was occupied by the Wanklyn family; David Wanklyn later became the Allies’ most successful submarine commander in the Second World War. Inside, only the main staircase survives from the 17th century, but several original fireplaces remain. The building was subdivided in the 1950s into Courtyard House and Knovil House, and the gatehouse has been converted for residential use. A 16th-century walled garden and a medieval fishpond lie to the rear, while converted barns provide additional accommodation. The gatehouse’s two tall square towers with battlements overlook the surrounding grounds.