23041

 

II  

Designated  

29/03/2000  

29/03/2000  

Pen-y-lan Farmhouse  

 

Monmouthshire  

Caerwent  

Newport  

Pen-y-lan  

342887  

190560  

 

About 4km west of Caerwent and 500m south east of Penhow Castle to the south of the A48.  

Domestic  

 

Bradney records Pen-y-lan as being the most significant house in the parish of St Bride's Netherwent, 'The house known as Pen-y-lan appears to be the only one of any size and style and is probably the one where the family of Robnet resided.' It is built on a defensible site with some surviving earthworks and is probably of early origin, but the present house appears to date no earlier than the late C16. The first house seems to have been a 'regional style' house of the type described by Fox and Raglan with a gable entry beside the main stack and a two storey 2-room plan. In the later C17, perhaps c1670, the house was heightened and greatly enlarged to its current shape and given the impressive 3-storey porch and rear staircase. There have been considerable rearrangements and partitioning in the C20, and the present owner has added hardwood joinery, a conservatory and a concrete tile roof.  

The house is smooth cement rendered, over the rubble limestone which is visible inside, with some freestone dressings and a concrete tile roof. In appearance it is a late C17 two-storey-and-attic house but see History (above). The main south elevation has a central three storey porch. A plain doorway leads to the the main door of four vertical planks with planted mouldings and strap hinges with an ovolo moulded oak frame. Above the doorway there is a 2-light casement with stone mullion and drip and replacement joinery. Steeply pitched gable. To the left of the porch the hall window has been replaced by a large set of hardwood French doors. A wide rendered area to the left of this might well hide a fire window, or this could be the original stair position. Above is a 3-light casement and a single light one, the rest of which is destroyed by the addition of the porch. Steeply pitched roof without verges, gable stack to left. To the right of the porch the ground floor is obscured by a modern conservatory, 2-light casement above, gable stack. The left gable has the original entry with 4-centred head, now converted to a 3 x 3 pane window. The gable is otherwise featureless. The rear elevation has added outshuts, but it does have a C17 three storey gabled wing with a 3-light timber casement on each floor, the upper two with dripmoulds.  

The porch leads to a cross-passage with a major room on either side. To the left is the hall of the C16 house which has a large fireplace with an enormous stone lintel and a bread oven. To the right of this is the old entrance doorway. The room to the right of the cross-passage has a smaller fireplace with a monolith surround. All ceiling beams are chamfered, some have run-out stops. The cross-passage leads to the staircase which is a timber dogleg about a stone centrepiece. More chamfered beams on the first floor with modern partitioning disguising the original arrangement. The attic has one plastered room above the porch; this has a plank door with a cambered head. Principal rafter roof with cranked collars, two tiers of trenched purlins and a diagonally set ridge piece, the rafters have been replaced.  

Included for its architectural interest illustrating the conversion and extension of a late C16 'regional style' house into a much more impressive late C17 one which, despite alteration, retains much of its character.