NEWPORT council cabinet member Peter Davies is set to announce tomorrow whether the Mansion House will remain the official mayoral residence.

If he decides it won’t, Newport City Council’s Scrutiny Forum will discuss the future options for the mansion.

And as the decision draws near, the Argus takes a sneak look through the key hole...

Smiling broadly as she opens the door, Sue Jones, 35 of Newport, is the house supervisor at the mansion.

This year’s mayor, Noel Trigg, does not live at the home, but it is still staffed with a busy calendar of charity events, and meetings and greetings.

Miss Jones says: “Whenever there’s a function, people always want a tour and their faces light up when they look around.”

There are 16 rooms with nine bathrooms and toilets.

Downstairs, there’s the staff room, breakfast room, kitchen, living room, pantry, reception room and dinning room and three different toilets. On the second floor there’s yet another three bathrooms, the mayor’s office and four bedrooms.

And on the top floor there’s another three bedrooms, a summer room, shower room and two toilets.

The house boasts some old wooden furnishings, and has stunning views of the city, and a beautiful stained glass window.

There are also quirky features such as the old back-staircases for servants (now used as storage) and the old servant bells.

At the back of the hallway, we pass a portrait of John Liscombe, (who was mayor of Newport in 1905).

He built the mansion in the 1890s and lived there until he died in November 1914.

Sir Abraham Garrod Thomas of Clytha Park owned the house for a little while, but then Newport Corporation bought the house for £3,250 to use as Judge’s Lodgings in March 1939.

It has been used as Mayor’s Lodgings since 1975.

As we walk up the stairs, Miss Jones shows me one of the seven bedrooms in the mansion - the one which some say is haunted.

Miss Jones laughs: “It’s always a cold in here, but I’m not convinced because nothing’s ever gone bump!”

Councillor Allan Morris, who lived in the house last year during his time as mayor added: “There are rumours about the room being haunted and it certainly does have a strange feel to it - it’s always cold."

The final part of our tour is Miss Jones’ “favourite” - the bedroom on the top floor.

And its not hard to see why. The bedroom leads into a large balcony with clear views all over city.