History

Farmhouse, perhaps originating as a medieval hall-house in the C16, with chimney and floors inserted in the C17, remodelled in C18 perhaps in two phases the additon of a stone winding stair at the back of the chimney earlier than the re-ordering of the interior to central entry plan and raising of the front wall and finally with some minor C19 changes. The house is of 4 bays to E of the big ridge stack (with 3 roof trusses) and one to W (with 2 trusses), the W end being downhill of the rest. The suggested phases of construction are: 1) a C16 hall-house of uncertain size but including the W end section. Of this date would be the larger scarfed cruck roof truss embedded in the W side of the chimney, originally with an arch-braced collar. 2) C17: Addition of large chimney into hall, now W end of main house, some earlier purlins hacked off to accommodate it, door to centre (since blocked) floors with an internal stair opposite door now gone, and scarfed crucks of most of the roof. 3) C18: internal stair replaced by a stair projection on N with stone stair, necessitating removing one roof truss and inserting crude truss E of chimney, walls raised in clom, upper windows on front, backs of crucks packed out to raise roof, door on S blocked and new one made just W. Reroofing with stave rafters, woven hazel above, then bracken and thatch. Plaster under woven panels. Original stairwell became small bedroom, panelling and doors of this date, small pantry built into main kitchen. W end rebuilt perhaps as stable with raised floor, reusing truncated roof trusses and with new end wall and brick chimney (perhaps for mash). Upper floor hayloft. 4) C19 W end converted to domestic use, door narrowed, ventilated N window plastered over, stair added to croglofft, W chimney, E chimney added, E doorway S of this chimney. S wall raised partly in stone for larger windows, reroofed above using flat rafters. Room added to E end possibly at same time.
Farm had a tannery in C18 until c1830. Marked on 1840 Tithe Map as owned by John Morgan, occupied by Thomas Morgan. Thomas family came 1852, tenants until 1920 of Llwyncelyn estate. Maintained unmodernised into late C20 by the family, then sold to the National Trust, which has restored the building 1996-8.

Exterior

Vernacular farmhouse. Colourwashed roughcast over stone and clom, thatched roof. Battered 2-storey walls, dropping to single-storey in bay downhill of main stack. E end late C19 bay of colourwashed rubble stone and corrugated iron roof. Main range has colourwashed rubble stone large chimneys each end, with slab drip-stones and slab cappings. W bay has colourwashed brick W stack. Thatched roofs have eaves sloping down over W end bay and to rear, with wide eaves, all renewed since 1994.
South front has 3 small modern upper windows with recessed timber-frames to single sashes; ground floor has renewed 12-pane sash each side of door, all with timber lintels. Alignment is irregular: 2 upper windows are set to right, one to left is slightly lower, ground floor right window is aligned with window above, and a blocked door was found under adjoining window, but present door is set further left (central to front). Left window is set well to left of window above. Door is set deep and boarded. A second recessed door into W room is placed downhill to left of main chimney. W end wall has small casement pair to right and single loft light above. Late C19 addition to right of house has board door and window with flat brick heads, windowless E end wall.
Rear is irregular, colourwashed with stair gable to right of main part with curved corner walling to left, irregular angle to right. One first floor 4-pane small window. Rear wall of main range to left has even eaves and a single 4-pane small window. W end section has single small 4-pane window. C19 upper end addition is windowless to rear.

Interior

Unusually well-preserved interior which retains the character of an C18 farmhouse, with a very few alterations c1880. Modernisation in the C18 brought alterations to the stair, insertion of a small bedroom, new entry, fixed dresser, fielded panelled doors and cupboards.
Five-bay roof structure of 5 rough A-frame trusses, 4 are scarfed crucks. Large, stepped rubble chimney-stack inserted in second bay. Second truss, backing on chimney, was arched braced and could be C15 but is now without braces or original collar. Third roof truss E of chimney is a crude replacement, possibly when stair was inserted, fourth and fifth have packing above to raise roof. Stave rafters, and woven hazel under bracken under wheat-straw thatch.
The turning masonry stair flanks the great chimney stack and projects through rear wall. Chamfered main beams to kitchen with chamfered bressumer over later grate, iron oven and fireplace surround (Coalbrookdale). Spit-rack above with curved ends and moulded cornice against half-beam. To right, stair doors, deep cupboard and an L-shaped fixed dresser with elaborately carved ends, moulded cornice, probably later C18. C18 cupboard on S wall. Small panelled N bedroom has fielded panelled door. Entrance hall then step up to E parlour. C18 cupboard in S wall with moulded architrave and moulded shelves. Pegged scarfed feet to trusses in S wall of kitchen and in N small bedroom and N wall of parlour; flagged floors throughout. Upper floor in 3 rooms, second and third trusses on partitions. Panelled doors.
Downhill end room with own lobby, ladder access to loft which has scarfed cruck on W wall and former arch-braced truss against chimney. Boarded ceiling.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* as a rare surviving example of a farmhouse with significant medieval and sub-medieval features, retaining remarkable vernacular character internally.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17743136

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

• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)