LATEST: The winner of Restoration Village 2006 is Chedhams Yard in Warwickshire.

The three Welsh contestants were - the Prichard Jones Institute in Anglesey, Pen Yr Orsedd Quarry in Caernarfon and Pembrey Court in Carmarthenshire.

Pembrey Court Farm
Pembrey Court Manor House (Cwrt Pembre), later known as Court Farm, is today little more than a ruin. It is, however, an important and unique reminder of the world that existed before the Industrial Revolution reshaped the Carmarthenshire countryside.

Background
Listing: Grade 2
Date of building: 16th-17th Century

The site of the house may have been settled as early as 1361. Though much of what remains is Elizabethan in origin, the house also comprised a medieval tower house, core and a barn with a castellated frontage. The most distinctive remaining feature of the property, the only Elizabethan manor left in Carmarthenshire, are its seven distinctive rubble stone chimneystacks. These days shrouded beneath rampant ivy the chimneystacks would once upon a time have proved a valuable navigation tool for ships negotiating the treacherous Burry Estuary.

The house would have been the most important property within the local parish and it is said that Oliver Cromwell once stayed there. In the early 1700's, however, the house underwent drastic alterations to convert the single dwelling for use by two separate families. Substantial remodelling of the interiors led to walls windows and doors being removed and further openings and divisions being introduced. Subsequently the two homes would be leased to a succession of different owners.

The house has remained unoccupied since 1948 and is today very dilapidated. However a wealth of original architectural features including the property's haphazard irregular quadrangle plan and massive stone walls, some magnificent panelling, and those landmark chimneystacks still invest the property with enormous character. The presence of so many original features, including portions of the roof, which though very badly deteriorated present clues as to the original design, make sensitive restoration of this unique property a viable proposition.

It is hoped that a restored and revitalised Pembrey Court could provide the local community with a valuable resource, which could fulfil any one of a variety of roles. Suggestions considered so far include developing the property as a themed hotel, an arts centre and an Elizabethan interpretive centre for schools and other visitors to the area.

Pembrey Court Farm: In Pictures

Information on Pritchard Jones Institute and Pen Yr Orsedd Quarry