9359

 

II  

Designated  

05/08/1991  

31/01/1995  

Upper Bettws Farmhouse  

 

Powys  

Clyro  

 

Bettws  

322288  

246498  

 

Isolated position high above Wye Valley approximately 3km north east of Clyro. Above the farmyard on sloping site.  

Domestic  

 

Origins as late C15 cruck-framed timber hall-house. Unheated parlour wing (possibly jettied) added late C16, various remodellings to hall and east end bays in C17 including the insertion of chimney stacks, entry into a stairs lobby, chamfered and stopped beams and refronting in stone with gable to central portion. In C18 the roof was raised over the east portion, new front door centrally set on south side (north door blocked). In C19 the west wing was refaced and reroofed, back kitchen wing added to the rear of the central portion and the adjoining granary and stable ranges were built.  

Two storeys, painted rubble stone, stone tile/slate roofs. Two bays to east with squared rubble end stacks, long gabled cross wing in centre with north end stack, wider gabled west range set slightly forward. C18 raised and fielded panelled door in moulded frame to east range under later open porch. Front of cross wing has deep-set verge with moulded bargeboard and pendants, below is remnant of C17 moulded window frame. Traces of stone hoodmoulds on other elevations, some C18 bead moulded window frames with later glazing but largely renewed fenestration in quasi mullion style (1990 by Capps and Capps). At east end of house a single storey rubble stable block, at west end large rubble granary/apple store with external stone steps to loft.  

The upper portion of an ornate cruck truss, formerly the central hall truss, survives adjacent to the central inserted chimney stack. It has arch braces, butt apex and cusping above a large collar forming two trefoils and a quatrefoil. In the west range a fine ceiling of late C16 with deep chamfered broach stopped beams set cross pattern with exposed counterchanged joists. Although this is the grandest ceiling in the house the room is peculiar in having no fireplace. It is possible therefore that the small splayed corner to SW (front) represents the blocking of a former corner chimney, the stack of which has long since been removed (there is a notable local example of this strikingly rare plan type, namely the Kilvert Country Hotel, Hay-on-Wye). The other clue that this room may provide to the original appearance of the house is that the chamfer stops are set in from the present front wall suggesting that it may have been a jettied timber-frame and later encased in stone. Dog-leg stair beside the central stack with turned balusters and deep moulded handrail (possibly moved from the west wing). Between the stairs lobby and the east end room a timber-framed wall partition - chamfered beams in the room are jointed to the chamfered headrail of the partition. Some good C18 two-panel doors and boarded doors with ogee moulded ribs. The extreme west range (former granary/apple store) is currently being altered to domestic use, the loft floor has been removed and a hammer beam type roof constructed from the former roof trusses.  

Listed as an especially interesting regional farmhouse. Group value with the listed farm buildings.