A new house
William Evans began building Avallenau for himself and his family. The house belongs to a group of Pembrokeshire buildings associated with designer-makers William and James Owen.
An evolving local record
Avallenau House
Built in 1845 on the southern edge of Haverfordwest, Avallenau has been a family home, a council care home and a workplace. This site gathers the record—and leaves room for the stories still missing.
Merlin’s Bridge · Pembrokeshire1845Construction began for Haverfordwest solicitor William Evans.
AvallenauAn anglicised spelling of the Welsh word for apple trees.
Grade IIA listed early Victorian mansion with a central gabled bay and columned porch.
SA61 1XNAvallenau Drive, Merlin’s Bridge, one mile south of the town centre.
A house in four lives
What the records tell us
The outline is clear; the human detail is not. Dates below come from the national monument record and the Eaton Evans family papers held at Pembrokeshire Archives.
A brief beginning
William and Cecil Evans moved in during November 1846. William’s health had already failed; he died in April 1849. The house remained in the Eaton Evans family for roughly a century.
From private to public
Pembrokeshire County Council purchased the property soon after the Second World War. Archive notes record its use first as an old people’s home and later as a children’s home.
A landmark at work
Later sales records and the present property listing describe a three-storey Grade II listed building in commercial use, retaining original features.
Read the evidence
Three starting points
Local history is stronger when the trail is visible. These records underpin this first version of the site; each opens in a new tab.
National Monuments Record
Coflein’s architectural summary records the date, form and location of the house.
Open Coflein record ↗Eaton Evans family papers
The archive catalogue gives the family story, naming history and later council uses.
Open archive record ↗Current property record
The listing describes the building’s present size, setting, listed status and commercial use.
Open property record ↗The gaps matter too
What we do not yet know
- Who worked on the house and grounds during its first century.
- The full story of its years as residential care.
- Which original interiors and garden features survive.
- The dates and stories behind photographs held in family albums.
Add to the record
A photograph, a memory, a correction?
First-hand knowledge and source leads are welcome. Nothing is published without review.
Submit information