Exterior
House, painted render with slate eaves roofs, two storeys and attic. Crosswing at each end, both projecting on rear W. N cross-wing is gabled, S cross-wing is hipped both ends. Four large ashlar chimney stacks: triple-shafted on W end and S side of S crosswing, double-shafted on N and S sides of N crosswing. Single short stack on main ridge towards S end, another just forward of ridge towards N end. Main facade to E, but entrance on W.
E facade has 4 gables of varying sizes: largest to right, of N cross-wing, and then a dormer gable, a gable and a dormer gable, all with bargeboards and pendant finials. Windows are timber mullioned, the larger ones with transoms at mid-height, mostly later C20 replacements, with small panes on Plas Pontfaen, but not on Pontfaen Farmhouse.
Pontfaen Farmhouse occupies first two bays to left. Roof is hipped at SE angle, first bay has casement pair to both dormer gable and first floor, and 3-light mullion-and transom window below, and second bay has 3-light to larger gable, 4-light to first floor and two 3-light mullion-and -transom windows below. S side, former service entry, has massive external chimney breast with triple stack to right, 2 small dormers to left, 2 first floor windows and ground floor has 2 attached single-storey ranges enclosing service court, with hipped S ends. Door between ranges. All glazing is later C20: old photographs show 2-light windows of late C17 or early C18 type to first floor, on wallface, with leaded lights. W end of crosswing, to garden, has ground floor large lean-to with asbestos-sheet roof, windowless first floor and another very large triple chimney on eaves of hipped roof.
Plas Pontfaen occupies the right 2 bays of E front (with more scattered fenestration): left bay has 2-light in dormer gable, first floor 3-light and 2 small ground floor single casements, an intermediate bay has a first floor 2-light and a ground floor 2-light with transom, both set at higher level, corresponding with floor levels of big cross-wing gable to right which has 4-light mullion and transom window each floor. N end has 2-light mullion-and-transom window to ground floor right and large chimneybreast to left. Steps to basement. W side has cross-wing projecting to left with similar bargeboards and pendant: first floor 6-light mullion-and-transom window (4-light casement in old photograph), ground floor large canted bay with hipped slate roof and big 4-light mullion-and-transom window. S return has large 2-shaft chimney. Lean-to porch in angle shelters big flight of 6 slate steps up to door in rear wall of main range. Porch roof is late C20 copy of original: slate pent roof, flat ceiling within, open on 2 sides, on 3 cast-iron columns, each side with shallow timber arch and pendant. Cilgerran stone walls flank stairs, balustrade to S side. Broad 4-panel door with panelled reveals. To immediate right, set high, is big 4x3 light mullion-and-transom stair-light (leaded lights in old photograph). Rest of rear wall to right is windowless. Small dormer in centre of roof, shown in old photograph, now with C20 glazing.