Great Abbey Farmhouse including front garden wall, Ystrad Fflur, Ceredigion

History

Gentry house probably of late C17 date built for James Stedman died c. 1670 or Richard Stedman, recorded as living there in 1693. The house had eight hearths in 1670 but only has four now. It was illustrated much as now but with dormers in the attic and an ornate porch in Buck's 1741 view of the abbey ruins. Marked on the 1843 tithe map with a range attached to SE corner (where the other 4 hearths may have been).
The house may be on medieval foundations, and may stand at right angles to the rear of the cloister S range (though S.W. Williams thought it built across the site of the S range). It incorporates carved stones from the abbey. The odd position of the main stair in the rear NE gable is suggested as an earlier C18 alteration with a well-stair originally in the gable to left, but conclusive evidence is lacking. The panelling and painting in the S room are earlier C18 also, which would suggest much alteration for the last Richard Stedman, after 1703. He died heavily indebted.
Strata Florida abbey was leased and then bought in the C16 by John Stedman, originally from Staffordshire. His son John was High Sheriff 1581 and died 1607. His son John, born 1550 was High Sheriff of Cards. 1595 and 1608 and Brecons. 1610. He lived at Ystradffin, Carms. and died 1613. His son James was High Sheriff 1617, and died that year. When he died the inventory listed 16 beds, various tables and carpets for tables. His widow married Sir John Price, High Sheriff 1624. John Stedman was High Sheriff 1637, James Stedman High Sheriff in 1667 had died by 1672, Richard Stedman High Sheriff in 1693 died 1703. His son Richard was the last of the family, died 1744. The estate passed to his principal creditor, his brother-in-law Thomas Powell of Nanteos on the death of Richard's widow in 1778, and the house became a farmhouse, eventually being bought by the Arch family, who had been Powell tenants from the late C19, Mrs Anne Arch 1926. Disused since mid 1990s.

The house has been altered since the 1741 view, principally by the refacing of a part of the front wall in the C19 (losing one upstairs window), the reconstruction of the roof with loss of the dormers, the two rear gables being truncated in the C20 with loss of the top flight of the staircase, but the gables re-instated in the late C20.

Exterior

House, rubble stone with slate roofs and stone end stacks with slate tabling. Two storeys, broad front, four-window range of renewed horned sashes with slate or concrete sills. Front wall has been rebuilt on right side, in C19, reusing old stone, leaving a straight joint to first floor right. First floor has 12-pane sash to left, 16-pane in second and fourth bays, no window in third bay, but window reveal survives inside. Cut limestone heads to two left windows, yellow brick head to right window in rebuilt wall. Ground floor has door in approximately central second bay. Door and 12-pane window to left have cut limestone voussoirs, presumably original, while the two 16-pane windows to right have heads in C19 yellow brick. C20 door, slate threshold.
Windowless S end wall has two shallow outsteps in wall structure, one just in of SW corner, the other just in from SE corner, suggesting complex building history.
N end gable is windowless but has renewed 16-pane horned sash to left, in side of rear stair gable.
Rear of house has two parallel gables, both apexes replaced in late C20. Broader stair gable to right is suggested as a reconstruction of a narrower original initially separate from, and later than the gable to left, joined by infill, the line visible to left of low door. Door is flanked by two small windows. First floor has two 12-pane horned sashes, one in infill to left set higher than the one to centre, and rebuilt gable has 12-pane sash. The door and first floor windows have limestone voussoirs. Possibly earlier gable to centre has renewed 16-pane horned sash on ground and first floor, 12-pane to rebuilt attic gable. First floor window has limestone voussoirs. Left return is windowless, as is rear wall of main house to left, which has a straight joint and a reused pair of roundels from the abbey. Similar re-used roundels on S return of gable. Other fragments include a shaft in right side of left gable and quoin in left side of right gable.

Rubble stone wall at front of house has rounded limestone coping probably from the Abbey buildings, and gatepiers have caps with reused sections of wall piers. Simple railing gate.

Interior

Low ceilings to ground floor. Broad entrance hall with stone flags, partitions each side. Room to N with very large fireplace with spit-rack over and three massive covered beams. Ceiling in poor repair. Four-panel door. Worn stone slab flooring. S room is panelled in large fielded panels on three sides, with painted panel above fireplace and big cupboard to left with fielded panelled doors, 2 below and one large one with shouldered arched head above. Curved shelves within. Painting is of Youth, standing on box, being tempted by a semi-naked woman on right with bearded face and asses ears, holding a pleasant mask in front of her face, and with cello lying to her side. Two bearded figures to left, one with Bible. The scroll under feet of the youth was read by G.E. Evans as 'When Virtue and Vice/ Youth doth woo/ tis hard to say/ Which way he'll go.' The panelling and the painting look early C18. Ceiling in poor state of repair is apparently modern, pine joists beneath original square oak joists. Seats in window reveals.
Rear centre gable has small altered room. Stairwell to the rear NE off the back hallway, probably early C18 addition; open-well wide oak staircase with closed string, shallow steps, turned balusters, moulded rail and plain square newels. Evidence on banister of fire-damage. Staircase has flight up to half-landing with short rail, second flight to just below the first floor, with short flight up to landing with balustrade. A third flight up is blocked after one turn and two more steps, the fourth flight to attic removed after fire damage, when gable (since reinstated) was replaced by a flat roof.
First floor bedrooms have 6 covered beams, floors with heavy slant towards the front of the house. Front wall of S room shows the window now filled in. Wall cupboard with panelled doors in SW corner. Roof not accessible.

Reasons for Listing

Included at grade II* as an exceptionally fine late C17 house clearly associated with Strata Florida Abbey with interior detail of exceptional interest.

External Links

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