History

A large medieval hall-house retaining substantial original fabric and exceptionally fine detail, which has been dendro-dated to 1435. The house is clearly of high status, and was probably associated with the barons of Edeirnion. It is cruck-framed with a 2-bay hall including a fine aisle-truss to the cross-passage; to the E are 2 outer rooms in series. A former inner room to the W is now lost. The walls were probably half-timbered originally and were replaced in stone by the mid-C16. At this time, an ornate ceiling was inserted but was later removed, and a large fireplace was inserted into the W (dais) end of the hall, along with another at the sevice end. The building was in a poor state by the mid-late C20, resulting in a restoration programme by the Landmark Trust, particularly to the exterior.

Exterior

Long single-storey range with attic to E end, constructed of random stone on boulder footings under a slate roof with raised stone copings and kneelers; stone end stack to W, beneath which is a small lean-to against the gable end. The front faces S. Cyclopean doorways with boarded doors to centre and R, leading into cross-passage and kitchen, respectively. The segmental-arched door heads have hollow mouldings and are supported on springers and moulded monolithic jambs. The windows are mainly renewed wooden casements with iron glazing, the original openings with timber lintels. Between the doorways is a small 2-light casement with timber lintel, above which is a skylight to the roof pitch. To the L is a tall 2-light casement with stone lintel, probably inserted in the late C20. Further L is a 3-light casement also with stone lintel, which probably replaces a pre-glazing mullioned window, the opening originally wider.

The E gable end was mainly rebuilt in the late C20 and has a 3-light casement to each storey, that to ground floor offset slightly to the L. The N side of the house has a Cyclopean doorway with boarded door to the centre, leading into the cross-passage. There are 2 x 3-light casements with stone lintels to the L, and a 2-light casement immediately R of the doorway. To the far R is a wide pre-glazing mullioned window. It has a fine moulded wooden frame, the 4 timber mullions and sill replaced during restoration. Lean-to to W end has a boarded door to each side, and a small W window.

Interior

Two-bay hall open to the roof, divided by cruck trusses. Each bay is further sub-divided, that to the W by a collar truss, that to the E by a fine box-framed aisle-truss which formed an open screen to the cross-passage. Each truss has a collar which supports a King-post attached to the ridge beam; there are 2 rows of raked, trenched purlins and cusped windbraces. Some of the timbers, particularly the aisle-posts, are decorated with quarter-mouldings. Between the N aisle-post and N wall is some post-and-panel infill. In the W bay is a louvre truss, for ventilating the original open hearth. Flagstone floor to hall. A new masonry wall was inserted into the W end of the hall in the C16-17, which contains a large fireplace with substantial timber lintel with shallow chamfer. To the rear of the L reveal is a bakeoven with segmental brick head; 2 small shelves to rear of R reveal. Above the fireplace is a beam associated with the former attic floor. On this floor was a smaller fireplace, now infilled, with timber lintel. To the W end of the N wall is an original window opening, which may once have continued to the fireplace wall. The opposite opening on the S side is probably contemporary. The central truss has been cut on the S side by an inserted window.

On the E side of the cross-passage is a partition wall beneath the cruck-truss. It has a floor beam, as W end, above which the partition is close-studded. Beneath is a boarded door to the L which leads into the outer rooms, now a living room and kitchen. The living room is plastered and ceiled; 2 spine beams to ceiling, that to N stop-chamfered. In the NE angle is a late C20 boarded staircase. Original splayed window opening with timber lintel to S wall. A partition wall to the E has a central boarded door leading into the kitchen, now modernised: During restoration, smoke blackening was found here suggesting there was an open hearth.

The attic storey has 2 bedrooms. That above the living room has 2 small lights in the close-studded partition, allowing a view of the hall. The lower purlins have been replaced, but the upper purlins and wind-braces are original. Truss between bedrooms mainly plastered but with exposed King-post and parts of cruck blades. The roof beams in the E bedroom have been replaced.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade I as a quite exceptional late medieval aisle-truss hall-house with a remarkably fine and unaltered interior, and one of only a very few to survive in Wales.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Plas Uchaf at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7201725

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)