History

Neuadd Cynhinfa was a house of some status, bearing the name of the township. It has medieval origins as a box-framed two-bay hall house ranging north/south; it is unusual for this region in not being cruck-framed. Recent dendrochronology has given an early C16 date to the hall. The surviving structure, in particular the remarkable evidence for close studded and panelled external walls, confirms that this was a dwelling of considerable status. In the mid C16 it became storeyed, a chimney was inserted and the parlour wing to the west was added, a dendrochronological dating for this wing of c.1550 having been obtained. The south unit of this early house was demolished at an unknown date.

In 1849 the house was recorded as the farmhouse of a tenancy of about 230 acres. In the mid-C19 a back kitchen to the east was built together with a new staircase in the former hall.

The house has been extensively restored following recent disrepair, and it has been extended south on the site of the lost original south bay.

Exterior

A two-storey house, the early part half-timbered with close-set restored vertical timbering; the C16 west extension is framed in square panels above and is close-timbered below, with a jetty surviving on the north side. The C19 east extension is in roughly dressed uncoursed stone, partly whitewashed. Two walls of the west extension and the recent additional bay to the south are in uncoursed rubble with roughly dressed large quoins.

Slate roofs and rubble chimney stacks to hall and parlour; brick chimney to back kitchen. C19 casement windows generally, some with iron-framed opening lights. Entrance opposite the main chimney with rear door in the angle with the parlour. The recent south extension has a dormer window to east and to west, and a rooflight to west.

Interior

The hall, which was greatly reduced in size by the insertion of the chimney, retains its exceptional post and panel dais partition; the right hand doorway of this appears to have opened onto the solar stairs. The solar was over the inner room and together this represents the main surviving body of the medieval house, the lower end having been lost. There is a compass-drawn circular pattern on the dais partition, a feature which has been noted at the high seat position in other hall houses (regarded by some as an evil-eye talisman).

The hall was floored over in the C16 with stop-chamfered beams. The parlour was added at right angles to the hall as opposed to the more normal position beyond the hall chimney; the wall between hall and parlour was previously external and is therefore especially important as it is of the stud and panel type of close studding; it includes a camber-headed doorway.

The smoke-blackened truss over the hall indicates the former hall-house plan with open hearth. The central of the three substantial trusses that have survived has chamfered curved braces to the tie beam; the other two trusses are close-studded. Windbraces are retained.

The parlour has broadly chamfered and broach-stopped beams; this room was later divided into three rooms.

Reasons for Listing

A well-conserved and rare example in this area of medieval box-framed hall-house which is also probably the first recorded example to have all external walls of stud and panel type.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17741168

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)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy