History

An important medieval house, as suggested by its name and upland siting; Henblas is named as early as 1292-3 in the Meirionedd Subsidy Roll. The earliest surviving part of the present building is contained within a rubble-walled barn adjoining the main house. This has 2 bays of a high-status timber-framed open hall house with full cruck truss, cusped windbracing and an important primary service partition. This visible part of the medieval house represents the service bay and one of probably originally 3 bays of the hall; 2 other arched-braced collar trusses are contained within the roof space of the present, adjoining house, and include an ornate truss. The visible full-cruck truss is of arched-braced collar type, with raking struts supporting an upper collar with surmounting king post. This was originally a closed partition truss and the original triple service door arrangement has survived below a moulded bressummer. The central entrance is larger and has a shouldered arch, whilst the flanking entrances have chamfered pointed arches. The early truss form and the use of pointed and shouldered arches suggests an early fifteenth, or possibly late C14 date, which makes this a particularly early and significant example of a high-status late medieval open hall.

The walls were encased in rubble probably in the later C16 or C17 and the upper bays of the hall and parlour/solar section extensively remodelled. In its present form the house section is has a largely C19 appearance with C20 windows.

Henblas was the birthplace of Edward Jones (1752-1824), known as 'Bardd y Brenin' (the King's Bard). Jones was an important harpist, musical historian and arranger who served the Prince Regent as official harpist, until the latter's succession to the throne, when he was appointed King's Bard.

Exterior

Storeyed house of irregular plan, consisting of a T-shaped house range with an adjoining L-shaped barn range to the R. Of rubble construction with whitened main elevation and late medieval timber-framed core; main roofs of slate with corrugated iron to the barn sections. The house section has a cross-wing to the L with a gabled stack in the front elevation; single window range to the R adjoining the barn. Squat modern brick stack to the gable of the wing; rubble end chimney to the R. Modern windows: one to the ground floor and 2 to the first. A single-storey, hipped-roofed, wrap-around porch addition extrudes in the L corner and projects in front of the chimney gable. This has the main entrance on its inner (R) return; modern door and window to the R. The rear has a similar porch extrusion in the angle between the two wings, hipped as before and with part-open front supported on a brick pillar; modern door and window to the L return. 2 modern windows in late C19 openings to the L, one to each floor. The long side elevation has 3 similar windows to each floor.

Adjoining the house stepped-down to the R is the primary section, now a store. This has a boarded entrance to the L and, to the rear, 2 modern entrances with corrugated doors, that to the R double-width. Adjoining this flush to the R is a later C17 rubble barn section with corrugated iron roof and exposed collar-truss to its weather-boarded upper gable (to the R). Advanced lower wing to the front; of rubble with corrugated iron roof.

Interior

Full-cruck arched-braced collar truss to the primary section, with upper collar supported on raking struts and squat king strut above. Cusped windbraces and evidence for wall plates and former wall posts; some replaced purlins. The truss has a triple-arched service partition to its lower section, now open though formerly a closed partition truss; central shouldered arch and flanking chamfered pointed arches below a moulded beam. The present house section has 2 further trusses, one ornate, in the roof space. The main ground-floor room (hall) has a plastered over main beam and bressumer to ceiling and fireplace respectively, both chamfered.

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II* for the special importance of its origins as a late medieval full-cruck hall house, retaining part of its fine original open hall with service screen.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17744364

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

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide