Lydart

Lydart is a dispersed hamlet within the community of Mitchel Troy, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about south-west of Monmouth, north of Trellech, and south-east of Mitchel Troy village, on the top of an escarpment which slopes steeply down to the valley of the River Trothy and which commands spectacular views. The B4293 road passes through the area.Lydart House and EstateLydart House is described as a "handsomely proportioned" eighteenth-century house, of six bays and two storeys. The nearby Lydart Farmhouse is a fortified manor house largely constructed in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, though parts of the house date to the twelfth century. The house underwent further expansion in the late eighteenth century, after the Lydart estate saw a significant influx of wealth from the wars with France. The house's chapel is designated as a site of historical interest by CADW due to its rare fleur-de-lys decorative plasterwork and hidden staircase, which may indicate early ecclesiastical use. Both are Grade II listed buildings.Caer LlanCaer Llan, to the south of Lydart House, is a former country house, thought to have been built about 1800 but much extended in various stages since that time. After being used briefly as a boarding school, it began to be used as a field studies centre in 1971. It is now also used as a conference centre and events venue, and provides some accommodation. Ancient woodland to the south east of the centre is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).