1391

 

II*  

Designated  

16/11/1962  

11/01/2002  

Pentre Cwm  

 

Denbighshire  

Cwm  

 

Pentre Cwm  

306187  

377910  

E  

At the fork of the Cwm Road and the minor road to Marian Cwm, near the southern fringe of the village of Dyserth. Terracing and retaining walls of site much altered in recent restorations. Former farm buildings of Pentre Cwm farm are to the north.  

Domestic  

 

A late mediaeval hall house. As no part of the masonry is demonstrably original, a timber-framed initial phase is hypothetically possible. The house has been through several phases of enlargement and alteration. The original part is the ground storey of the front range, with the hall (now kitchen) upslope to the east and the buttery and pantry downslope beyond a cross passage to the west. The timber-framed partitions each side of the cross passage survive, but are not necessarily original and probably not contemporary with each other. These partitions are not tied structurally into the exterior walls, and it is possible the walls were rebuilt when the house was converted to two storeys. The hall (now kitchen) has a large lateral fireplace on its north side probably contemporary with the exterior wall. The partition forming the west side of the cross passage retains two Tudor-headed doorways (one restored) and shows evidence of a lost longitudinal partition separating buttery and pantry. A low window in the north side of the service end relates to an earlier local floor level considerably lower than the present. When converted to storeyed form the house acquired a roof structure in three bays, in utilitarian carpentry not intended to be displayed. A cellar was formed beneath the original service rooms, with stairs against the north side. In the south room of the service end (originally buttery or pantry) a cross-corner fireplace was inserted in 1632, indicating the change of use of this room to a small parlour probably at the time the longitudinal partition was removed. The stone bressummer carries the initials M/WA, for William and Anne Mostyn (married in 1624). A porch with chamber above was added four years later, and carries its date and the same initials. The first major plan enlargement was the addition of the east rear wing, probably a parlour wing. The west rear wing is structurally later. Both of these rear wings have cellars, and a blocked exterior north door remains at cellar level. When the west rear wing was added a large kitchen fireplace with a low voussoir arch was included, on which the date 1731 is found in graffiti (but comparison is made with Faenol-fawr, Bodelwyddan, where a similar fireplace is dated 1690). This addition concealed the north (rear) door of the original cross passage, and an exterior door to this cellar in the west side contains stonework probably relocated from the original rear doorway of the cross-passage. Pentre Cwm was ancestral property of the Mostyn family. It was recorded in 1844 as the farmhouse of a farm of 225 acres (91 hectares) within the Mostyn estate. Its farmyard lay to the north (now in separate ownership). The farm came later into the ownership of Conwy of Bodrhyddan. The farmhouse was extensively restored in 1988 and became a private house again. Stone mullion windows taken out during the restoration work have been preserved and built into a low wall to the west of the house.  

A house of two storeys in local limestone with sandstone dressings. Slate roofs with tile ridges and sandstone-coped gables, stone chimneys. The main block (corresponding to the original house) ranges east/west (north-east/south-west) and is emphasised by small ball-finials to its gables. It has a two storey gabled porch and chamber centrally on the front elevation. There is a lateral chimney to its rear and a lateral chimney to the left of the front elevation. The main door centrally in the south-facing porch has a stone surround with a Tudor-headed lintel with label mould. The lintel carries the initials M/WA and date 1636. A similarly sized plain sandstone doorway has been relocated in the west elevation. The windows are of single, double or triple lights with stone mullions (restored). To the north are two gabled wings, of similar size, in similar materials; each with a coped gable and end chimney. These wings have an entrance on the west side at the lower ground level, so they are of three storeys but of the same height as the front range. Small mullion windows of two or three lights. Walled up north doorway.  

Post and panel partitions forming the cross-passage, partly restored. C17 inserted fireplace in small parlour at left, in corner, with moulded cornice and initials and date in a sinking on the face of the bressummer. Large lateral fireplace in kitchen (to right), which formerly included a bread oven at its left. A very large kitchen fireplace with voussoir arch in north-west wing. Timber-framed partitions upstairs in the main range, carrying unbraced plain purlins. C17 chamber fireplace with moulded cornice and ovolo on jambs and soffit of bressummer; stone hearth. An unglazed timber mullion survives at the north side of the service end of the original house, with a low sill level.  

A particularly fine late mediaeval house substantially enlarged in the C16 and C17 which has been the subject of extensive recent careful restoration, with full preservation of its historic and architectural character.