12801

 

II  

Designated  

03/10/1988  

27/10/1992  

Former Barn at Pentre Evan Farm  

 

Pembrokeshire  

Nevern  

 

Pentre Evan  

209261  

238076  

 

Situated up track running N from minor road from Crosswell to Newport, from junction opposite lane running SW from Felindre Farchog.  

Agriculture and Subsistence  

 

Possibly late C15 or early C16 origins, altered later as farm building. Original use uncertain but possibly part of the house of the Bowen family - notably Sir James ab Owen of (1485-1518), Owen Bowen (d 1569) and Thomas Bowen (d 1586) whose seat was here from the later C14 to the late C16, before passing by marriage to the Philipps family. It is possible that this was actually the main house, of the type where the main house was also a gatehouse to a rear courtyard, though there is no evidence as yet of a rear court. Used as a barn for many years and latterly (1990) converted to a hostel.  

Rubble stone with slate roof, two storeys with main front to north. Dressed grey stone surrounds to door and older window openings, rough quoins and boulder foundations. Roof was grouted slate in C19 but probably originally thatched (see projecting rugged stones at 3/4 level). Tall and broad segmental arched doorway to right of centre with voussoirs to head and continuous chamfer. Pedestrian doorway immediately left with monolithic segmental pointed head. Another similar doorway to right hand has more acutely pointed arch and relieving arch stones over. Other openings have similar stonework, a rectangular window over left pedestrian door and a slit opening to left of same door. One other window, to first floor right occupies site of a blocked opening, modern timber lintel, original stones to left jamb. Modern window to ground floor left. East end has outside stairs to left door with monolithic lintel, stairs are modern but on site of stairs shown in 1867. West end wall has two grey stone jambs blocked in. Rear has big cambered arch with voussoirs, possibly C19, the rest much rebuilt 1990. Two C20 windows to left and two to right, with heavy stone lintels. Two C20 first floor windows with timber lintels, that to right with grey stone jambs, apparently original.  

Converted to hostel with inserted floor. Previous inspection revealed wall thickness reduced at about 5 feet with crude corbels, suggesting a sunk ground floor. First floor 10-bay roof of arched collar trusses with arched spurs to base, smoke blackened towards W end (which had chimney in 1867). Butt purlins and slightly chambered collars.  

The building is thought to be of the first half of the C16, the butt-purlin roof not found elsewhere in Pembrokeshire (P.Smith).