2033

 

II*  

Designated  

19/08/1955  

12/10/2000  

Barn with stable and granary at Cwrt-y-Brychan  

 

Monmouthshire  

Llantrisant Fawr  

Usk  

Llansoy  

344944  

201528  

 

Situated just E of Cwrt-y-Brychan across yard.  

Domestic  

 

Barn with C15 cruck trusses and two-storey C17 rear wing with ovolo-moulded timber mullion windows. Probably originally timber-framed, entirely recased in stone. Cruck trusses of large scale to roof. Fox and Raglan note the barn as 5 bays 65' (19.8 metres) by over 25' (7.6 metres) with 4 internal cruck trusses (possibly mistake for 3), one severely distorted, one with feet shortened. The trusses flanking the doorway have tie-beams, one original, the distorted truss toward the lower end has broad collar. The lower end is floored, the slope of the ground allowing greater height, but the floor is a later insertion. They date the recasing in stone to the early C19, the stable and granary built against the W side lower end to c1600 and note that at the join survives a complete section of very heavy wall-framing, one and a half bays long. The decay to this wall suggests long exposure to the wet before the wing was added, they therefore date the barn to the later C15 at the latest. They compare this barn to the one at Upper Trerhiw, Llantilio Crossenny.  

Barn, rubble stone with slate roof, raised as catslide over N double doors. Two loops to left. Right has 2 renewed casement pair windows below and tall boarded opening between, board covering back of cruck truss. Right end wall has 3 loops over blocked window and 2 doors, the right door with stone voussoirs of broader opening above, the other door and window with stone voussoirs. Rear SW wing has corrugated iron roof, broad lower opening with C20 timber lintel under C19 brick-sided loft door. To right, a C17 3-light ovolo-moulded timber mullion window. Windowless gable end. Rear has one first floor window, ground floor obscured by blockwork lean-to on rear of main barn, rest of barn rear has slate roof raised to cover brick lean-to originally with 4 doors, 2 now windows, the lean-to continued beyond barn E end with roof in clay tiles. Lean-to on barn E end wall.  

Barn has massive trusses, and massive purlins to triple purlin roof. First from E a tie-beam and collar truss with replaced collar, roof has been raised in first 2 bays. Second truss is cruck truss with 2 collars, third is also a cruck with tie-beam and collar, massive triple purlins in fourth bay. Inserted loft floor in fourth and fifth bays. Fourth truss also cruck has lost collar, cruck spur on rear blade. Diagonally set square ridge beam. Added lofted C17 rear wing is open to barn at upper level but has massive oak framing below, perhaps a remnant of the original timber-framed outer wall, elsewhere replaced in stone. Five tie-beam and collar trusses with triple purlins, chamfered and stopped tie-beams notched for joists of attic floor, mostly removed, some square joists in one bay. Deep purlins, square diagonally set ridge beam, square rafters. Whitewashed plaster to first floor walls, blocked window in gable. Ovolo-moulded timber-mullion window on W side has one original diamond mullion. Rear wall has another 3-light ovolo-moulded mullion window with one mullion missing. Ground floor has heavy beams, square rough joists, blank opening on rear wall with chamfered and stopped lintel, another to right.  

Graded II* as a fine C15 to C16 cruck-framed barn with C17 granary addition, itself remarkable for survival of mullion windows.