History

C15-16 origins as a single-storey cruck-framed hall-house of at least 3 bays, including a 2-bay hall and an outer room to upper end. The hall had an open-roof with windbraces, some smoke-blackened. A bay was added to each end later, still using cruck construction, to form a 5-bay house. Probably in the early C17, a large chimney stack was inserted into the S end of the hall, possibly in the position of the cross-passage, and a lobby-entrance made to the E. A 2nd fireplace, backing onto the 1st, is slightly later and heats the former outer room. Most of the exterior was subsequently rebuilt in crude stonework, leaving only a little of the original timber-framing. At one time, the outer room may have been used as a blacksmith's. A shorter parallel range was added to the E side c1920, around the time when the house was sold by the Cornwallis Wests of Ruthin Castle. From 1945-65, it was divided into 2 properties and included a doorway to the front; alterations were made to the windows c1950. The house has been thatched since at least the 1930s.

Exterior

A long single-storey range constructed of large blocks of white-washed random stone under a thatched roof; tall ridge stack, rendered over stone. The windows are mainly C20 wooden casements, those to E with diamond glazing. The W side of the house, fronting the road, shows signs of historic alteration: the inserted stack, of crude stonework, is offset L of centre; immediately to its L is a fragment of original box-panelling with plaster infill, on a high battered plinth, containing a small 2-light casement with diamond glazing. Further L is an infilled window with timber lintel. To R of stack is a plain-glazed 2-light casement, possibly enlarged, beyond which is a single light with timber lintel. Alterations to far R, including a tall narrow recess, its purpose unclear, blocked window to its R, and inserted small casement beyond. South gable end is of stone, with small C20 light inserted to gable. The N gable end is of random stone, the gable rebuilt in brick, with a small light. Lean-to against ground floor, containing a mid-late C20 door to L and window to R. The N half of the E side is 4-window, all 2- or 3-light; the window 2nd from L inserted into an earlier stone porch, possibly made when the house was divided. Further S is a parallel single-storey range of c1920, with 2 large windows as main range. A porch, dated 1992, was added to the N end of this range: inside, a doorway to R leads into house forming a lobby-entrance. The 2 ranges do not join, the medieval range retaining an early 2-light iron casement with early fastenings (visible inside).

Interior

The interior retains its original 4 cruck-trusses, the later end walls of stone. The cruck trusses are well-preserved, each with a collar, central vertical strut and 2 raked struts. The building is now ceiled, but the apex of each truss is visible in the loft, including some wattle and daub panels. The stack was inserted through the hall/outer room truss and is offset to the W, leaving a corridor along the E side of the building. The chimney has back-to-back fireplaces: That to N, facing living room, has a very large cambered timber lintel; there was a bake-oven with arched head to rear R, which had its own flue, now blocked. The S fireplace, facing kitchen has timber lintel, with paired arches, possibly carved into the soffit later and connected with the blacksmith's. The opposite wall of the kitchen has a narrow infilled opening to the R, its purpose unknown. Bay at N end, now an outbuilding, is set right down on large rocks, over which the house is built.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* for its exceptional interest as a medieval cruck-framed hall-house retaining its plan-form and all its cruck-trusses, which developed into a sub-medieval lobby-entry house but was never raised.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29481320

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

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)