History

Late C16 or early C17 two unit farmhouse. The slightly lower three-bay section situated downslope was probably the original byre and cross-passage, until it was altered to form a parlour with bedrooms above, probably in the late C18 or early C19. This is indicated by the front lateral chimneys, which appear to be later insertions, and the collar-truss roof. The house retains what appears to be a ‘priest’s hole’ at its W end, reached via a mural stair. Monmouthsire was a renowned county for recusants, such as Walter Price, alias Father Ignatius, who was operating as a priest at Clytha in 1678, before dying in 1679 while on the run from persecution. Marked on the 1847 Tithe Map, when owned by Joseph Bailey, and occupied by William Price, being 87 acres (35 hectares) in extent.

Exterior

Front (S) elevation smooth rendered and painted; painted rubble rear. Slate roofs; steeper pitch to slightly higher W range. S front has older hall range to left, and parlour range to right. Hall range has broad rendered gable stack to right, parlour range has low lateral chimney to left, and narrow brick lateral flue roughly to centre. Lateral chimneys to both rear outshuts, both heightened in brick. All windows replaced in plastic. S front of hall range is of two bays. First floor has upper small window to left, and larger window under shallow dormer gable. Ground floor has small left window, and taller right window. Right parlour range has two windows to first floor; also two to ground floor, smaller to right. Gabled porch to ground floor left, with round-arched window. Right gable end has ground floor door and window to first floor and attic. Rear of hall range has broad later-lean-to, rubble built with slate roof; C20 glazing to three windows. Rear of parlour range has small added outshut abutting lean-to, slate roof hipped at angle: door and window facing E, big rounded oven projection to left of chimney. First floor window above outshut with timber lintel. Ground floor has central blocked doorway with window each side; timber lintels.

Interior

Plan retains cross-passage, which has C19 enclosed staircase, with hall range to W and parlour to E. Older range has hall and inner service rooms. Fine hall with massive fireplace having chamfered ashlar lintel and jambs. Winding chimney stair to left, blocked to upper part. Three hollow chamfered beams with plain stops; possibly these and the fireplace are late C16. Fine post-and-panel partition, the posts with chamfers stopped low down, and the faint outline of a former bench. Plain end doorways with added boarded doors. Stone-flagged floor. Two inner former service rooms with three beams similar to hall: right room has putlogs set at waist height, presumably for former shelving or benching. Left room has mural stone stair to first floor level, which is also accessed from the bedroom above via a small hatch: another flight of stairs leads to a small chamber in the roofspace, headroom gained by the lower height of the bedroom ceiling. Single pair of roof trusses visible to hall range. Cross-passage has marginal half-glazed door to porch, with planked door into hall. Parlour is at lower level, with single chamfered beam; plain stepped stops. C19 grate. Roof of parlour range has three pairs of thin collar-trusses. Rear outshut kitchen has stone corbel of former roof.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a substantial and well-preserved hall-house of the late C16 or early C17, with particularly fine hall, and unusual priest’s chamber.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29500918

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Old House Care and Repair