History

Said to have been the seat of the Lords of Arwystli. An exceptional example of the Montgomeryshire timber-framed, storeyed, lobby-entry house. Despite a relatively late date of c1660, the only Renaissance influence is the oriel windows to the parlour end. Some alterations occurred during the Victorian period, including a brick service wing to the NW and the insertion of a staircase through the large chimney stack. A Victorian porch was removed in the late C20. Pitched stone floors have been recorded here.

Exterior

A large 4-window house of 2 storeys-and-an-attic, constructed of close-studded timber-framing on a stone plinth. Slate roof, hipped to L end, large brick stack to R of centre. There are 4 tiers of close-studding with diagonal braces; the E gable end is jettied to each storey, the gable of small panels with diagonal quartering; C19 barge boards with pierced decoration. The W gable end was rebuilt in brick, now slate-hung, and the roof was hipped. At the same time a service range was constructed to the W of the rear elevation.

The house has a lobby-entrance to R of centre, the doorway with a triangular timber head and containing a late C20 boarded oak door. The windows to the front elevation are C19 moulded wooden casements. Flanking entrance, 4-light windows with transom and mullions. To far L, 3-light casement with horizontal glazing bars. The 1st floor has similar windows, all 4-light except that to far L which is 3-light. Four gabled dormers to attic, all timber-framed with slate-hung sides and containing 3-light casements. Two small cellar windows to L.

The jettied parlour gable end has moulded bressumers and central 5-light oriel windows to ground and 1st floors, retaining their original C17 moulded timber mullions; 3-light timber-mullioned window to gable. The C19 W gable end has a round-headed stairlight with small-pane glazing. To the rear, the house has a doorway opposite the stack containing a late C20 half-glazed wooden panelled door. Wooden casement windows of similar date, 2 x 3-light to L of door and 4-pane to its R. 1st floor has similar windows aligned above, and a 4-pane window above the door.

Added to the R is the C19 service range consisting of a 2-storey hipped-roofed block, an outshut, and a narrow single-storey range projecting to the W. The former has a window to each storey under a segmental brick head, a 6-over-2-pane horned sash above a large 3-light top-hung window. Mainly C20 wooden windows elsewhere and doorway into single-storey range.

Interior

Inside the lobby-entrance is an exceptionally large chimney breast with back-to back fireplaces; this was pierced in the C19 by a timber staircase, still leaving the fireplaces intact. The interior walls are unplastered, revealing fine close-studding. Former parlour to R of entrance has a ceiling with deeply chamfered, ogee-stopped spine beams and plain joists, the beams supported on decorated corbels. Small C19 fireplace with triangular head, presumably infill of the original fireplace. The former hall to the L has a similar ceiling with ogee-stopped spine beams, the large brick fireplace with slightly chamfered timber lintel. Close-studded partition wall opposite, to a small service room. C19 addition to rear, including the current kitchen.

To 1st floor, the room over the parlour has a ceiling with ogee-stopped spine-beam and cross-beam; good oak floor. Central landing with stair continuing to attic storey and passage along rear wall to L, leading to a C19 back-staircase. The attic storey has good tie-beam trusses with substantial arched collars and 2 pairs of large purlins; the W room has an original doorway.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* as an outstanding example of the vernacular C17 timber-framed, lobby-entry type house in Montgomeryshire, with fine Renaissance detailing to the parlour end.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742972

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)