2075

 

II  

Designated  

19/11/1953  

27/10/2000  

Cwmerra Farm  

 

Monmouthshire  

Skenfrith  

Abergavenny  

Llanvetherine  

337237  

218250  

 

Approximately 1.5km NE of Llanvetherine village, at the end of a long drive which runs E off the minor road from Pont Gilbert to the Bont.  

Domestic  

 

A late medieval cruck-framed open hall house, probably dating from early C16, comprising two bay open hall with solar bay at upper end. About 1610, this timber-framed house was reconstructed. The outer walls were rebuilt in stone, a floor inserted in the medieval hall and a stone chimneystack added to form a regional type B plan (illustrated in ‘Houses of the Welsh Countryside,' p 197). This layout features an inserted chimneystack backing onto a cross passage. Here, hall and inner rooms are on left of passage, service rooms (possibly a parlour) on right. Fox and Raglan point out that the sunk chamfer windows of the hall are of an earlier type than the ovolo mullions at the service end, implying that the early C17 rebuilding may have spread over twenty or more years. During the late C20, Cwmerra has been extensively renovated and the former cider house (attached to S end of house) converted to form a modern kitchen and service area. In the C17, Cwmerra belonged to the Powell family and James Powell, founder of the Grammar School at Brynderi, lived here.  

One-and-a-half storey W front has C17 house (left) and former cider house (right). Rubble stone with slate roof. House has stone end-stack; rendered off-centre ridge stack with three diagonally set flues; former cider house with rendered ridge stack. House front has big off-centre lateral gable (to left). Each side of gable, set in roof slope of house, are C20 hipped dormers with 6+6 pane casements; one to left of gable and two to right. All other windows have angled dripstones with dropped and returned ends. Lateral gable has C17 sunk-chamfer wooden mullion windows. In gable-head is a 2-light mullion; below, a 4-light with 3+3+3+3 panes; and on ground floor a similar window with iron stanchions. Ground floor (left) has a C17 4-light sunk chamfer mullion with 3+3+3+3 panes. On ground floor immediately to right of gable is doorway of cross-passage with segmental arch of stone voussoirs and plank and batten door with strap hinges; then a C20 4-light ovolo mullion with 3+3+3+3 panes. Former cider house (to right) has inserted C20 lateral gable with 3+3+3+3 pane casement window in gable-head. On ground floor (l to r) is a 3+3+3 casement window, then an entrance doorway with C20 glazed door. Attached to S gable is a single-storey gabled extension. Rear elevation has big lateral gable on right. This corresponds to gable at front and, has similar sunk chamfer windows on each floor (as described). To right is a 3+3+3 sunk chamfer mullion. To left is a small 3+3 pane staircase window, then the boarded door of the cross passage with C20 6+6 pane dormer window above, next a small 2+2 pane casement, then a smaller gable with C20 6+6 pane casement in head and C20 4-light ovolo mullion with 3+3+3+3 panes. Former cider house (left) has external stone steps leading to upper loft; C20 glazed door under raised monopitch roof. Small C20 rooflight. On ground floor (left) is a 2+2 casement.  

Entrance into broad stone-flagged cross passage of former hall-house, which has inserted C20 wooden staircase. To left of cross passage, C17 doorway with ornate shaped head, leads to former hall which has corner stair of winders (right). Formerly a transverse post and panel partition separated hall from partitioned rooms beyond. Part of this partition has now been taken down and realigned to create an enlarged L-plan room, enclosing a small inner parlour. Partition doorways have shaped door-heads and double roll moulding to door jambs. Hall has C17 chamfered ceiling beams with hollow and fillet (Wern-hir) stops, and broad fireplace opening with flat head and massive chamfered monolithic lintel and jambs. In the corner of the adjoining parlour a narrow stone staircase with winders rises to an upper chamber. To the right of cross-passage (at the former service end) the former post and panel partitions do not survive. On the upper floor the surviving cruck trusses are visible, including the upper section of the partition truss, which has close studding between collar and tie beam, and the collar-beam truss of the former open hall.  

Rare survival of a medieval cruck-framed hall house, with later inserted floor and chimney, retaining fine cruck trusses and interior detail of the C17, notwithstanding extensive alteration to external detail.