21099

 

II  

Designated  

12/01/1999  

12/01/1999  

Goitre Wen Farmhouse with adjacent Walled Yards and Garden  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llangennech  

 

Goitre  

255263  

204633  

 

About 3km north of St Cennych's church. The farmhouse is reached by a private lane leading north-west from near Hen Goitre on an unclassified minor road.  

Agriculture and Subsistence  

 

Late C18 gentleman-farmer's house built on an H plan. The house was probably built by William Lott (1763-1806). It was subsequently in the occupation of Lott descendants and members of the related Hopkin and Hopkins families until the death of the last of the Hopkins daughters in 1933. The north block was originally the service quarters, but in the late C19 the house was subdivided and the north block became the farmhouse of the home farm.  

An H-plan house of two storeys and an attic, of local stone with slate roof. Considerable remnants of smooth render, originally whitened (applied in 1940s). Large stone chimneys, one at the centre of the south block, one slightly south of centre of the link block. The house consists of a front and a rear unit parallel to each other, each gable ended, with a link block. The doorless main elevation faces south to the garden. This front elevation is a two window range. The gabled side elevations of the front and rear units are blank except for the attic windows. The window openings throughout have slightly cambered flat stone arch heads and stone sills. Twelve-pane sash windows to the ground and first storeys and six-pane sash windows to the attics. The right windows of the main south elevation were given replacement sashes c1920 incorporating horizontal glazing bars only. The two-window link block contains the main entrance, facing east. The door, to the left, is of six flush panels, with a thin dressed stone surround and a simple cornice. The lower window to its right has late-C19 replacement sashes, of two panes per sash. The two above are 12-pane sash windows. On the west side of the link block the ground storey has been extended to form a single storey scullery and lobby. The rear unit has replaced steel windows and a modern door. There is a walled rear kitchen-yard with four sheds backing on to the stables. Attached to this yard at west is a second yard adjacent to the pigsties, including an earth closet with its original seat. Both yards have high walls in rubble stonework similar to that of the house, but probably not formerly rendered. A walled garden in similar masonry is attached to the house on the west side, one side of the garden being formed by the rear of the sheds and pigsties range.  

The house is designed for its principal rooms to face south to the garden, and with the entrance facing east to the farm access lane. In the entrance hallway is a good Regency staircase from ground to attic, of very simple elegant design. Small moulded handrail, turned newels with a small turned top-plate; inch-square balusters with wrought-iron balusters at intervals. Stair risers appear to be oak, other items of the stairs joinery are in a strongly figured hardwood. Servants' stairs in the north range are of simpler design than the main stairs; some balusters missing. The interior retains original detailing, including all original cast-iron fireplaces. In the main reception rooms (to south) there are original slate fire-surrounds with fluted or plain friezes above. In the upper rooms also with slate surrounds and original timber mouldings and friezes. In the attic there are minute iron firegrates. There is much original joinery including window shutters and four-panel room and cupboard doors. The attic bedrooms have vault-shaped plaster ceilings. In the middle section is a scullery, with its original iron range and a bread oven.  

Listed as an exceptionally well-preserved gentry farmhouse retaining much of its Regency period character, and forming the centrepiece of an intact farmyard group.