1875

 

II  

Designated  

02/12/1989  

14/10/1999  

The Fountain Inn  

 

Blaenau Gwent  

Tredegar  

 

Troedrhiw-gwair  

315852  

206550  

 

Troedrhiw-gwair lies to the SE of Tredegar, at the end of a no-through road. The Fountain Inn is located to the SW, reached at end of a farm track.  

Commercial  

 

Early C17 farmhouse set into slope: slightly later single-unit range added at right-angle near uphill end. The house originally was of lobby entry plan, with downslope lofted cowhouse. In the later C19, when the farmhouse was adapted as a public house for the mining community of Troedrhiw-gwair (many of the houses having been demolished in recent years), the cowhouse was converted to a dairy with the Buff’s Society room above. At this date, the main entrance was slightly resited.  

Whitewashed rubble construction, L-plan. Single storey plus attic: later C19 alterations have created a two-storied elevation to lower end. Concrete tiled roof; slate roof to wing. Brick chimney to gable of wing; rubble ridge chimney heightened in brick towards upper end of main range. Five-bay NW elevation to main range. In angle with wing (in line with chimney) is blocked original main doorway, with small inserted window. Main entrance to right, inserted in later C19; boarded doors with narrow overlight. Towards lower end is boarded door with barred window each side: timber lintels. Two larger windows above, set under eaves; simple glazing. Five-bay rear elevation with modern windows and off-centre narrowed door; asbestos slated roof at lower end. Uphill gable of main range has blocked window with small blocked opening above. Smaller and slightly lower cross-wing at upper end has timber dormer to SW (possibly a rebuild of a C17 dormer). Small window below to right; projecting dripmould to left, the internal masonry indicating a former window. Gable has blocked window with similar drip.  

Originally of lobby-entry plan (i.e. entered through small lobby in front of main chimney). Stop-chamfered beams with long tongues, except for ground floor room of wing, which has very closely spaced and vertically laid beams. Pointed arched opening to SE side of main chimney, now blocked. Winding stone fireplace stairs (with wooden treads added) on gable end of the cross range; blocked windows. The attic here leads into the roof space over the main range; A-framed trusses, trenched purlins and semi-dovetailed tenoned collars. Massive chimney-breast. On the uphill gable end is a fine four-light window, now blocked, but retaining its wooden diamond mullions. At the other end, a door formerly opened onto the loft (removed in C19 alterations). The Buffs’ Room is reached by stairs to the right of the entrance; tall room with booth-like seat below buffalo horns to one end. Below is cellar and dairy with stone shelves; baking or smoking oven to rear.  

Listed as a well-preserved C17 former upland farmhouse, converted to a public house in the later C19 for the increasing industrial population. Historically, a rare testimony to the transformation of the Valleys during the C19.