610

 

II*  

Designated  

20/10/1952  

25/09/2003  

Glascoed  

 

Powys  

Llansilin  

 

Glascoed  

321779  

327625  

 

At east of farmyard, about 1 km south-east of the village of Llansilin.  

Domestic  

 

A house of the early C17, on an ancient site traceable to the mid C14. It is one of the important houses of the vicinity mentioned in the Llyfr Silin of the late C17. An adjacent barn, no longer extant, carried the date 1689. The house was in timber framing above stone but successively reconstructed in brick and stone. It formerly had plaster ceilings, illustrated and described as 'full of Renaissance feeling' by Hughes. A fine dogleg staircase of the C17 survives, ex situ. Glascoed is noted as the home of the Kyffin family; later conveyed by marriage to Sir William Williams, Speaker of the House of Commons (d. 1700) and included in the Wynnstay Estate.  

A large farmhouse partly in timber framing and partly in local uncoursed sandstone, with roofs partly in small courses of random slates, partly in regular slates, tile ridges and brick chimney stacks. The plan is approximately cruciform, with long 2½-storey north and south wings appended to a taller 2½-storey main east/west range. The north wing is a little lower than the east/west range; the south wing is conspicuously lower. It is now entered by a porch in the south-east angle. The timber framing survives only on the upper part of the east side of the house, and is of close-studded form. It is seen on the upper storey of the south wing, the gable and part of the left flank of the east end of the main range, and in the upper 1½ storeys of the north wing. This framing is infilled in elaborately cut quasi-herringbone brickwork of warm red colour; the remainder of the gable end is in similar brickwork, probably in English Bond. The size of the bricks suggests it is not contemporary with the timber framing. The remainder of the house, to north, west and south, is in stonework, including the chimneys. There is a large central chimney with a cluster of six brickwork stacks, four of which are laid diagonally; a lateral chimney to the west of the south range, with rendered twin stacks; and a truncated north-east corner chimney. The windows generally have steel frames with small leaded panes. The upper and attic windows of the south gable, two upper windows of the west elevation of the south wing and the ground storey windows of the east elevation of the north wing have stone mullions. The attic, two upper storey and two ground storey windows of the west gable have stone lintels. Two C20 catslide dormer windows each side of the north wing.  

Very good C17 staircase with large turned newels with pendants, adjacent to main chimney; elaborately carved handrail; pierced splat balusters. An oak boarded and counterboarded door with wrought iron hinges and a nail-studded frame is described by Hughes. Fine plaster ceilings are said not to survive.  

An important and very well preserved farmhouse of gentry status and known history, with substantial timber framing including unusual decorative brick nogging; a building of exceptional character with fine historic features both internally and externally.