Buildings of Newport (11)

Brick House Country Guest House

Brick House has a long and interesting history. The earliest Church records show that there has been a house on this site since 1450, it was then called Whitehall Farm. Parts of the original farmhouse still show but the main Georgian facade was built around 1795.

The house was then owned by William Phillips, who was a member of Parliament and a prominent land owner. He also built the Whitson Court in the next village. Whilst building Whitson Court, William Philips, built the Brick House ready for his son's return to Britain from the American Colonies. However the son (also named William) never returned. The ship carrying him home was wrecked in a storm before reaching Britain and William was drowned.

Brick House remained in the Phillips family until 1901, when it was sold to Sir William James Thomas, a coalmine owner from Cardiff and it became part of his vast estate. The present owners, Mr and Mrs Charles Park first became tenants of the farm in 1947 and eventually purchased the property, in 1972, from the executors of Sir William James Thomas.