162

 

II*  

Designated  

10/06/1952  

15/05/1998  

Plas Uchaf  

 

Conwy  

Llannefydd  

 

Plas Uchaf  

296694  

371606  

 

Strikingly-located to the W of, and in the shadow of, the Moel-y-Gaer, approximately 1.5km NW of Llannefydd village; accessed via a farm track running NW from the Llanfair to Llannefydd road, immediately W of the reservoir.  

Domestic  

 

Sub-medieval gentry house with unit-planned additions. Originally the seat of a branch of the Goodman family, early medieval English settlers in the Ruthin area (whose number included Gabriel Goodman, Dean of Westminster, d.1601, and Godfrey Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester, d.1656). In 1665 the house was acquired by marriage by Meredith Wynne, Esq (d.1676) and the house remained in the possession of the Wynnes for the next century. His son, Edward was a JP and High Sheriff of Denbighshire in 1711. The status of the house was reduced to that of tenanted farmhouse from c1800. The earliest section is a second-half C16 storeyed end chimney house. To this was added a gabled cross-range in the early C17, together with further storeyed additions to the rear, forming a U-plan. These additions, also belonging to the C17, included an independent end-chimney range adjoining at one corner; the main sections appear to have been raised in the late C17 to provide a dormer storey. A fine staircase was inserted in the hall c1680, and is probably the work of the first Meredith Wynne. It is almost exactly paralleled by that at nearby Plas Isaf and is clearly by the same craftsman or craftsmen; they represent the finest and most sophisticated examples of their type in the locality. Surviving early C18 raised and fielded panelling (including an arched parlour entrance and an arched niche within) are probably cosmetic alterations carried out by Meredith's son Edward, the High Sheriff and some contemporary wall panelling is said to have been subsequently taken to Coed Coch. A late C18 cart-bay was added to the southern rear block, together with an extruded porch in the NE corner on the yard side. The S gable of the primary section was partly taken down and rebuilt c1994.  

Large storeyed house of irregular U plan; of local rubble construction with slate roofs, shaped kneelered gable parapets and six chimneys, originally all end stacks. The house has two main elevations, facing W and E, the former (garden) side, facing the imposing Moel-y-Gaer and the latter (farmyard) side enclosing a small court, open to the E. The garden side has the primary section to the L with a projecting gabled wing advanced slightly to the R; both are of two-and-a-half storeys. The primary section has a near-central entrance with boarded door and exposed lintel. Flanking this are C19 recessed 12-pane sash windows, that to the L occupying the space of the original cyclopean entrance; beyond this is a 16-pane sash. Two further 12-pane windows to the first floor with a 16-pane sash to the R and a small square closet light beyond. The attic floor has two small gabled dormers with 9-pane sashes breaking the eaves; the L gable has a blocked primary window to the first floor. The projecting wing to the R has a wide, plain gable. Large 4-light timber window to the ground floor with plain glazing and a segmental arch with painted stone voussoirs. This window occupies the space originally filled by a pair of 3-light (?) mullioned windows, each with a segmental relieving arch above; two blocked lights to the R and one to the L remain visible, with sandstone dressings. Smaller 3-light windows to the first and second floors with cambered heads as before, the former with flanking evidence of 2 blocked primary openings with relieving arches. The narrow L return has blocked primary single-light windows with chamfered sandstone reveals; that to the first floor retains a hollow-chamfered label. The E, farmyard side has an advanced wing adjoining the primary block to the R; this is opposed by a parallel N wing which projects forward to the L, extending beyond the plain of the former block. The resulting courtyard is enclosed to the farmyard side by a slab-coped rubble wall. The main range has a blocked opening to the R and a reduced opening to the centre, with exposed timber lintel; between the two the squared stone quoins showing the join between the primary block and its extension are clearly visible. Small 3-light C19 window to ground-floor L, with two 12-pane sash windows to the first floor, that to the L a modern replacement; to the L of that to the R is a small blocked primary closet light. Small C19 gabled dormer to attic with 6-pane sash breaking the eaves and a boarded gable. The advanced wing to the R has a plain late Victorian 4-pane sash window with an earlier C19 12-pane sash to the first floor and a similar 16-pane sash to the L. Stepped-down from the gable end of this range is an adjoining coach-house addition with large, plain entrance (up to the eaves) and slated roof hipped to the front. Extruded in the angle between the main range and the N wing is a single-storey C19 lean-to porch; modern boarded door to R with 9-pane C19 sash to the L. The Courtyard (S) side of the N wing has an entrance with a modern boarded door to the L and an open window to its R. The first floor has 2 windows with pegged frames, that to the R with the remains of a late C17 wooden cross window; 2 further, blocked windows. All the openings to this side have exposed timber lintels. The W gable has an external stone-stepped access to an upper entrance; recessed boarded door. The N side has a modern door to the L, formerly a window, with a further blocked window to its R. Wide central opening and a further blocked window to the R; 3 similarly-blocked windows to the upper storey and another to the E gable. Extruded in the angle between this and the main block is a C19 lean-to of rubble and slate with a further, lower mono-pitch block adjoining this to the W.  

Stone-flagged hall with C16 beamed ceiling retaining simple late C17 plastering to the beams. This is contemporary with a very fine L-shaped oak stair of c1670 which ascends in 3 graceful flights to the first floor from the hall. This has square newel posts with applied bobbin-turned ornament and geometric heads, barley-twist balusters and segmental steps at the bottom and middle; all treads and risers are original. At the bottom is an oak dog-gate with flat, S-shaped balusters of early C18 character. To the L of the stair is the former parlour, which retains its original (ie C16) post-and-panel partition, visible from the parlour space but plastered over on the hall side. This has a blocked Tudor-arched entrance and has had all the panel sections removed, apparently this century. The ceiling has a finely-moulded main beam and crisply stopped-chamfered joists. To the R of the hall stair is an early C18 arched entrance giving access to a stepped-up parlour addition. This has a moulded archtrave with projecting, fluted key and has associated raised and fielded large-field panelling on either side of a short lobby corridor which leads to the parlour beyond; this has a narrow panelled door to each side giving access to a small closet space, that to the L under the stair and that to the R in the thickness of the wall. The parlour itself has panelled reveals and window shutters and a contemporary arched recess with detailing as before; the spandrels to this have contemporary painted depictions of a male and female figure (traditionally said to represent Adam and Eve). The former kitchen (ground-floor R) has plastered beams as before and a square, secondary stair leading from it, with boarded door. This has oak treads and risers and is built around a central masonry pier. The first floor layout reflects its C18 partitioning and each room has a 6-panelled door (raised and fielded panels) with simple, broad architrave; in addition, all windows have panelled reveals, shutters and soffits, and the floors mostly retain their old oak boarding. The chamber at the stair head has a segmental oak step leading up to it, as before; raised and fielded panels to double closet doors. The former solar space, above the hall, is similarly sub-divided and has plastered, stopped-chamfered ceiling beams, partly exposed in one section. C18 wooden lugged fireplace with dentilated cornice and carved meander pattern; original decorative cast-iron grate. The attic floor has an enclosed corkscrew stair leading up to it with stick balusters and simple rail; its boarded sides are made up out of re-used C16 grooved post-and-panel partition sections. At the top of the attic stair is an early C18 balustrade with S-shaped oak balusters as before.  

Listed Grade II* for its special historic interest as a fine vernacular unit-planned sub-medieval gentry house with good surviving interior features. Group value with other listed items at Plas Uchaf.