British history and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of a semi-fortified manor in Wales. Its first owner, Dafydd ap Richard, is known to have been lord of the manor in 1549. The original defensive design incorporated a single entrance, four-foot thick walls enclosing spiral stone staircases for access between floors and stout wooden doors with iron bolts; there may originally have been up to fourteen staircases, one for each room. When the doors were securely closed, the Manor was effectively divided in two, ensuring that the inner east wing provided a self-contained place of refuge in case of attack. By the beginning of the Stuart dynasty the Prichard family had prospered and the house was extended in 1628 by David Prichard (the father of Colonel Edward Prichard) to demonstrate their status. The Grand Staircase now allowed easy access between floors and two of the rooms used by the family were panelled in oak. Other changes to the interior included a "4-centred arch" above the staircase. Mullioned windows were also added, with leaded glazing being a 20th-century addition. A roof of Cotswold tile, also dating from the 20th century, was replaced in the course of the 2014 refurbishment with a slate roof. Servants Servants outnumbered the family they worked for and many of them lived in the manor. At the time of Colonel Prichard’s ownership, it was likely that 15 servants lived in, with another 15 employed as outworkers. Higher status positions, such as the housekeeper, agent and valet, would often be passed down from generation to generation within the same family. The lesser roles, such as the outworkers, would be filled from those who offered their skills and labour at the hiring fair (held on Lady Day each year). These workers would be hired and paid on a quarterly basis. The most important servant would have been the Steward. He would’ve been educated and fluent in Welsh and English with a strong knowledge of the law and good insight into the local tenantry. Many of the servants were young and unmarried and all would have had several skills for different types of work. The house after 1645 When the house passed out of the hands of the Prichard family, it was used as a farmhouse; the Tithe Map of 1842 and the OS map of 1875 show that there was an orchard at the rear. The house