History

Large C17 gentry house, formerly Lower Pen-y-clawdd. In the early C18 owned by Edmund Bradbury, High Sheriff in 1732 and his son Edmund Rumsey Bradbury whose extravagant living ruined the estate. The W parlour called the Swearing Room was reputedly where Edmund Bradbury administered justice. The house was then purchased by the Williams family, the last of whom, William Williams died in 1886, and left the house to his wife's relatives, James and Charles Prichard of Penallt. Fox and Raglan note the 3 room plan, tiered gable windows, reserved chamfer mullion windows and scroll stops, and say that the house was built in 4 phases 1600-80. It would seem more probable that the phasing was longer mid C16 to earlier C18: the RCAHM suggests a timber-framed original hall now gone, extended at the W in stone c1600 with chamfered timber mullion windows, then c1625 the E hall range rebuilt in stone with ovolo-moulded windows and perhaps the porch added, and finally the panelling of the parlour added in early C18. Some modernisation including some new windows c1970.

Exterior

Farmhouse, whitewashed and part rendered rubble stone with slate roofs. Two and a half storeys, large red brick stack on ridge, small one at E end. S front has 2-storey 4-window range to right, large two and a half storey projecting porch gable and then another gable, of a cross-gabled parlour block, gabled also to W and N. N gable is paired with a smaller stair gable, the top rebuilt in later C20. Timber mullion windows with timber lintels generally.
S porch gable has cambered headed doorway with stone head of 2 large blocks, first floor C20 inserted 3-light window and apex small 2-light window. Three-light ovolo-moulded window each floor each side. Main range to right has 4 first floor triple casements, three C20, that to left ovolo-moulded C17. Ground floor has C17 recessed chamfered 4-light window, C20 triple casement (inserted), plank door and C20 cross-window. Cross-gabled W end block has S C19 triple casement to ground floor, C20 4-light above and tiny 2-light to attic, moved from barn. W end is whitewashed rendered with gable off-set to right. Tiered recessed chamfered C17 windows, 5-light to ground floor, 4-light and 3-light. Iron opening lights. N gable has C17 chamfered mullion windows 3-light to attic and paired 3-light windows to ground and first floors. Two basement openings, 2-light to right. Stair gable to left has 3 2-light chamferd windows, the top one C20. Return wall to left has heavy oak in chamferd frame. Three-window rear to main range, 3 ovolo-moulded 3-light windows above, one to ground floor left, 4-light recessed chamfered window to centre and C20 3-light to right. E end wall has 2 boarded loft lights and projecting rounded bread oven to right, stone-tiled.

Plank and batten door with applied fillets.

Interior

Lobby entry, 3-room plan with massive chimney backing onto entry, parlour block to W, hall to centre and kitchen to E. Moulded large stone lintel to kitchen fireplace. Plank and batten doors with strap hinges. Chamfered and stopped beams resting on window lintels, and chamfered and stopped joists to principal rooms to E. Stone hall fireplace with large wooden chamfered lintel with recess to its N end. Early C18 panelling and raised and fielded door to the parlour, called the Swearing Room. Access to cellar under W block from external door in NE corner of block. Solid oak baulk staircase with service shute from loft to cellar with access hatches at various levels. Chamfered and stopped wooden lintel to first floor fireplace with C17 Delft type tiles of Biblical scenes. Decorative plaster moulding to window splays. Upper cruck to the porch roof, reused collar trusses to most of the rest, earlier lapped collar trusses over E end.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* as a substantial C17 house of the minor gentry with surviving features including timber mullion windows, oak stair and heavy beams.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Pen-y-clawdd at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17738084

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)