1069

 

II  

Designated  

02/02/1981  

29/06/2000  

Plas Meifod  

 

Denbighshire  

Henllan  

Denbigh  

Henllan  

302844  

368382  

E  

Within a farmyard group at the eastern edge of the village, accessed from the road via a short track; the house faces the farmyard behind a narrow, rubble-walled forecourt.  

Domestic  

 

Plas Meifod originated as a late medieval timber-framed hall house, and the base cruck central truss of the former open hall survives. The house was encased in stone in the late C16 or early C17, at which period it became a storeyed house of chimney-backing-on entry plan. A post-and-panel screen in the present (ceiled) hall has traces of Renaissance painted decoration on its top rail, a scarce survival of a type of interior decorative treatment originally quite common in contemporary houses of any ambition. Later service wings were added to the rear, probably in the C18, and the facade was given new openings in the early C19; the house has been comprehensively restored in recent years.  

Ambitious storeyed farmhouse consisting of a rectangular main range with 2 rear wings, thereby forming an overall 'F' plan. Limestone construction with timber-framed core and modern slate roof. Tall central and lateral chimneys, both with weathercoursing and modern capping. The facade is of 4 bays and has asymmetrical openings with off-centre entrance to the L; this with modern boarded door and 3-pane overlight. To the L of the entrance are single windows to the ground and first floors, set diagonally one above the other. R of the entrance is a blocked-up opening with 2 windows to each floor beyond. All the openings have early C19 segmental heads with dressed limestone voussoirs. The windows all have modern stained wood casement glazing and slate sills. The rear is whitened and has gabled projecting wings to the centre and far R. The central wing is a low one-and-a-half storeyed dairy addition with modern casement windows to the gable and a modern part-glazed door to the R return. The right-hand wing predates the central wing and is an early addition, probably of the first-half C17. This formerly also had a tall end chimney, now reduced. Slated 'Popty Mawr' projection to the lower gable. The rear of the main block has 2 small-pane modern casements to the first floor centre, and a 6-light oak mullioned window to the ground floor. This apparently replaces a longer original window with off-set oak mullions.  

Chimney-backing-on-entry plan with central stack serving the former hall (R of the entrance); unheated service bay to the L. The hall has stopped-chamfered lateral beams with finely stopped-chamfered joists; fireplace bressummer with later camber, slate-flagged floor. At the upper (W) end is a late C16 or early C17 post-and-panel partition with traces of contemporary painted decoration on the top rail. Two roundels are visible, one with the initials 'MH' in black and white (or yellow?), together with a stylised shield also bearing initials. Beyond the partition is a former parlour with lateral fireplace; ceiling and bressummer as before. Above the hall on the first floor the full-cruck chamfered truss of the original 2-bay open hall is visible up to collar height; raking struts above. The present (modern) staircase incorporates an early oak ovolo-moulded balustrade and newel post with shaped top; these presumably relate to a former C17 stair.  

Listed for its special interest as a late C16 or early C17 storeyed house retaining detail of this period including rare Renaissance painted decoration on the hall partition beam; significant also for retaining evidence of its earlier origins as a late medieval open, timber-framed hall house.