1974

 

II*  

Designated  

09/01/1956  

15/03/2000  

Little Pitt Cottage  

 

Monmouthshire  

Llanarth  

Raglan  

Pitt  

336890  

209914  

 

Situated on N side of road from Llanarth to old A40 about 300m W of The Pitt village.  

Domestic  

 

Small mid C16 timber-framed house of 3 room and cross-passage plan, 12.81m x 58m. Originally built without hall chimney, the chimney inserted backing onto the cross-passage. C17 inserted floor over hall, the stairs apparently inserted into the space to right of chimney, blocking an earlier door from the passage, but stairs since moved. S front and E gable rebuilt in rubble stone in C17, evidence found for timber-framing in wall-plate at right end of S front. Upper end parlour now kitchen, centre hall, and lower end service below cross-passage, now sitting-room. Part of the Llanarth estate. Marked on 1843 tithe map as owned by the Llanarth estate, occupied by Mary Jones.  

House of timber-frame with later whitewashed rubble stone to W front and S gable. Plain tile roof, redone c1993, with small hip at N end and two brick stacks. The large hall stack on the ridge to left of entry has a rubble stone base and weathercoursing. The S end stack is all brick, and smaller. One storey and attic. W front has door to right of centre and casement windows with stone hoodmoulds, one casement pair to right, one to left of door and small single casement extreme left in chamfer and ogee moulded oak frame. Catslide eaves dormer with casement pair over window to left of door. Door is in lean-to open porch with plain tiles. Massive chamfered door frame, Tudor-arched head and plank door with raised strips over joins. Two panels of timber-framing over door, up to eaves. Wall steps out slightly for former stair to left of door, with projecting stone shelf below eaves. The S end wall has first floor casement pair with timber lintel under stone hoodmould, and two stone flat dripstones above hoodmould. Small lean-to at ground floor right. N end wall has exposed cruck truss on rubble plinth, the NW blade cut at eaves, with rubble stone returned at ground floor to doorway, the rest box-framed. First floor small single casement left and pair right with applied timber hoods. Ground floor lean-to enclosed porch right of centre, doorway not original. Small casement left. Whitewashed brick infill in panels. Rear E wall has vertical timber studding on long sole plate over rendered plinth. Casement pair to right inserted between studs, next casement pair in original window position with horizontal beams above and below, then wider rubble-infilled section marking site of chimney (with dowel holes showing one original stud removed), before Tudor-arched doorway to cross-passage. Doorway infilled in stone with small window. Section to left rebuilt in stone with casement pair window. All windows probably C19 with timber lintel under painted stone dripmould or hoodmould. Ends of beams for inserted hall floor visible between door and hall window.  

Three-room and cross passage plan. Centre hall divided from upper kitchen (former parlour) by box-framed partition on oak sill, with low depressed arched doorway to S end. Box-framed partition predates the floors and goes right up to roof. Hall has large stone chamfered fireplace, infilled. Three beams, chamfered with chamfered joists and stepped curved stops. There were stairs to right of fireplace, see curve in wall, probably a C17 insertion when hall was floored, as a massive door to cross passage would have been blocked. Plank door with strap hinges. The S end room has modern fireplace and partition partly timber-framed. Heavy square joists. Upper end N end room has square joists also.  

Listed Grade II* as a fine and exceptionally intact small mid C16 timber-framed house, modified to form a three-unit plan in the C17. House retains much early exterior and interior detail.