17640

 

II  

Designated  

15/03/1996  

15/03/1996  

Glan Usk Farmhouse  

 

Monmouthshire  

Llanfoist Fawr  

 

Llanellen  

331426  

210655  

 

Reached down a long farm lane and situated high above the River Usk to the south-east of Llanellen village. Set end on to the slope in sub-medieval manner.  

Domestic  

 

 

History: C17 origins with remodelling dated to 1708; the overall character of the house however relates to the late-Georgian remodelling. Some modern alterations. It was formerly the home of the Meredith family and the early C18 improvements to the house may have been carried out by Giles Meredith who was Sheriff in 1713. Exterior: Broad, 2-storey, 4-window painted pebbledash front set back behind a rubble forecourt wall with iron gates. Rubble construction under a slate roof with broad eaves and stone gable-end chimneys, the left hand of which is set forward to front pitch and originally had a diagonally-set stack; central stack removed. Slightly recessed 12-pane sash windows, all except one horned and with renewed glazing; the one original sash is that under the porch, reset within a former door opening. Stone sills. New 3-light casement windows to ground floor at either end replacing mullioned windows with Tudor dripmoulds. The entrance was originally central but is now offset to right opposite the former central chimney. 9-panel door and deep flat hood carried on cast-iron columns set on octagonal bases; the hood spans both the original opening and the present doorway. Bradney recorded a sundial above, dated 1708. The rear elevation retains evidence of the early origins with the off-centre projecting stair tower; this retains a pair of 2-light mullioned timber windows to each level, one with surviving sunk-chamfer moulded lintel and formerly also with stone dripmoulds. Cellar door to left and gabled porch to right with half-glazed door. Interior: Entrance is opposite the former chimney breast to the early hall. The ground floor retains various stop-chamfered beams, mostly of narrow ogee type and possibly contemporary with the 1708 remodelling (further similar beams survive, perhaps reused, in outbuilding to rear). Evidence of having had a post and panel partition. Broadly winding stone staircase. The finest feature of the house is the fully wainscotted parlour to the rear at downhill (NE) end. The oak bolection-moulded panelling is full-height with raised fields, panelled doors and shutters. Listed for its special interest as a substantial house of early origin and retaining high-quality early C18 interior detail. References: Sir J A Bradney,A History of Monmouthshire, vol 1, Pt2b The Hundred of Abergavenny, (reprinted 1992), p.350. Sir C Fox & Lord Raglan, Monmouthshire Houses, Part III, p.104 and p.160, (2nd edition 1994).