History

This building is one of a number of examples in this area of C17 or early C18 enlargement by the addition of a 2-storey range across one end of an earlier and smaller house (which in this case appears to have been a cruck-framed open hall). Others include Pen-y-fedw (Llangattock-vibon-avel), Graig House and Trebella (Cross Ash), and Steps Farm (Rockfield).

Exterior

A farmhouse of two very distinct building phases, probably earlier-C16 and late-C17 or early C18; recently altered and renovated. The walls are roughcast and painted cottage-pink and the roofs of Welsh blue slate except on the front elevation which has graduated grey stone slates. T-plan. The earlier part is a 3-bay range on a roughly NE/SW axis, originally cruck-framed and single-storeyed but adapted at an early date as 1½ storeys, and enlarged (probably in the C19) by a lean-to extension on its NW side. It now serves as the rear service wing to the later part, which is a 5-bay, 3-windowed 2-storey range built across its SW end.
The main range has a plinth and a broad band over the ground floor, both carried round. Its facade (now the garden front) is long, regular and symmetrical, with a segmental-headed doorway in the centre, 2 small segmental-headed 3-light casements at ground floor with restored glazing, 3 matching casements at 1st floor, and gable chimneys. At the rear its eastern bay has one similar casement on each floor and there are 3 renovated dormers in the roof. The eastern side of the earlier rear range (abutting the front with its eaves just above the band) has a segmental-headed doorway close to the junction, a rectangular 3-light casement in the centre, a large doorway close to the rear angle, and a sloped dormer offset slightly left. A tall chimney rises from the junction of the roofs. The rear gable wall has 2 small windows at ground floor and a third above, all segmental-headed 3-light casements, and there is a smaller 2-light casement in the end-wall of the lean-to extension.

Interior

The 1st bay of the rear wing (adjoining the main range) contains most of a full cruck truss, the blades exposed on both floors; its partition wall to the 2nd bay is of square-panelled timber-framing; and abutting each of these features is a large chamfered ceiling beam carrying floor joists of extremely unusual triangular section: the beam next to the partition crosses the lower part of the upper tier of panels, indicating that the upper floor was inserted. The NW side-wall of this range has square-panelled timber-framing on a rubble plinth (visible in the lean-to addition); and in the end room of this range, which is open to the roof, the whole of a square-panelled cross-frame is visible, including a principal-rafter truss with 3 queen-struts to the collar and V-struts above the collar.
The main range has stop-chamfered beams on both floors (probably of chestnut), and principal-rafter roof trusses with slightly arched collars. The entrance hall in the centre bay contains a fine late C17 framed newel staircase with closed string, turned balusters and heavy moulded handrail; but certain irregularities of its construction have led the owners to suspect that it is ex situ.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a good multi-period vernacular farmhouse retaining significant evidence of its origins as a late-medieval cruck-framed hall. The later additions also retain some original character including a fine staircase. Together with its associated barn and attached cattle-shed (q.v.), and former stable (q.v.), it forms part of a good farmstead group.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29501997

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
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)