19293

 

II  

Designated  

29/01/1998  

29/01/1998  

Pont Rhys Powell Farmhouse  

 

Monmouthshire  

Crucorney  

Abergavenny  

Cwmyoy  

331107  

222489  

 

On the Cwmyoy road about 350m north of the Queen's Head Inn.  

Domestic  

 

This is probably a late C16 or early C17 two unit end entry house converted into a three unit cross passage house in 1689 when the storeyed porch was added, opening into a lobby against the hall stack. It may be however that the cross passage is an original feature and that the downhill end began as the cowhouse and then the whole was converted in 1689. The room above the downhill end may be a 'best bedroom' as identified by Fox and Raglan at the nearby Dan-y-bwlch Farmhouse (qv), and this feature also appears at Coed Farmhouse across the valley. The granary was probably added to the uphill end during the first half of the C19.  

Painted sandstone rubble; the main roof on the front slope has stone tiles to the lower courses and corrugated sheet metal above, on the rear slope it is all concrete interlocking tiles, the outshuts are both concrete pantiles. Single depth two storey range with stable and granary in line to right. The end bay to the left has both a front and rear outshut. Front elevation : The left hand bay is obscured by a modern outshut with two steel framed casements. The catslide roof hides the upper floor of the original build. The next bay is a contemporary two storey gabled porch with a modern single storey gabled porch projecting before the front door. Five panel studded door with roll moulded jambs and lintel dated 1689. Above this is a 2-light small paned casement under a timber lintel. The ground floor of the porch has a small 2-light casement. The next bay has a 3-light timber framed casement below and a 2-light one above. Two ridge stacks, the hall stack backing onto the cross passage and a gable stack to the left. Rear elevation : The dairy outshut with catslide roof covers the rear of the bottom end. This has modern steel windows in the end walls. Two windows on each floor to the left of this, a single light one at the rear of the cross passage on the ground floor with a 2-light one to the left; a 3-light and a 2-light casement above. The bottom gable end has three tiers of plastic double glazed windows in elliptical heads. The openings are probably for early C19 sashes, with garret casements above.  

There has been a great deal of change in this house and the interpretation of its origins is difficult. The front door enters a lobby against the hall stack. To the left is a cross passage at a lower level which runs between the front and rear outshuts; this has only roughly finished cross beams. The lower room, which may be a conversion of a cowhouse, is featureless. The hall, which was presumably once two rooms, has chamfered beams with bar-and-scroll stops and renewed floorboards above, rough bacon rack. Firestair to right with straight stone flight turning at right angles behind the fireplace, and branching to the 'best bedroom' over the downhill room. This staircase, dating presumably from 1689, is a development of the more basic firestair. The 'best bedroom' has ceiling beams with wide chamfers and bar-and-scroll stops. Several C17 plank doors. Principal rafter roofs with collars and trenched purlins, but much altered, and with many primary and secondary timbers missing, especially where the roof covering has been replaced by sheet metal. One section of roof on the uphill end has two raised cruck trusses with chamfered ties with bar-and-runout stops, this may be an alteration of 1689. The garret over the 'best bedroom' is reached by a straight ladder stair with solid oak treads to the left of the stack.  

Included as a good example of a little changed C17 farmhouse grouped with a very fine barn dated 1703.