24152

 

II  

Designated  

19/10/2000  

19/10/2000  

Hay Barn, attached Corn Barns, and Pigsty at Lower Dyffryn  

 

Monmouthshire  

Grosmont  

Abergavenny  

The Dyffryn  

343572  

222695  

 

Located at the end of a long farm track which runs N off the minor road to Norton, some 3 km SW of Grosmont village. Standing about 120m SE of Lower Dyffryn Farmhouse.  

Agriculture and Subsistence  

 

Large mid-C19 lofted hay barn probably dating from after 1840 when Thomas Davies, the Duke of Beaufort's land agent, came to live at Lower Dyffryn. Mid-C19 hay barns are rare in Monmouthshire and tend to be confined to the larger, more progressive estates. Attached at right angles to S gable is an C18 corn barn, which is itself attached to a large C19 corn barn to S.  

C19 hay barn is built of rubble stone, with slate roof. W front, lower end was formerly open fronted, now partly infilled with blockwork. Wall plate supported by tall, square stone pillars. Cowhouse (to right) has three large square openings to upper loft, openings to left and right are vertically boarded. Ground-floor has broad open entry to byre; wall (to left) is weatherboarded and with C20 infill. S gable has two tiers of three ventilation slits. Attached at right angles to S gable is the C18 corn barn which is built of uncoursed rubble stone with slate roof. Large off-centre threshing doorways; one door only survives, on S side. Attached to W gable of corn barn is a two bay single-storey pigsty with gabled slate roof. Attached on S side is the C19 corn barn built of thinly coursed rubble stone with hipped corrugated metal roof. Opposing centre doorways to threshing floor have segmental arches with stone voussoirs. Two tiers of two ventilation slits to each of the long walls to left and right. Three tiers of two slits to the S gable end.  

C19 hay barn of 7 bays with fine interior: roof trusses have kingposts with angle struts, two tiers of purlins and ridge piece. Transverse stone wall to lofted cowhouse, has square pitching hole and tall blocked 2-light mullion with wooden stanchions (right stanchion missing)). Hay barn E wall has stone base with four splayed ventilation slits and above horizontal boarded timber framed panels. Adjoining E wall to lower cowhouse has three square openings with boarded shutters. C18 barn of four bays has raking queen strut trusses and two tiers of purlins; barn to S of five bays has C19 trusses.  

Fine mid-C19 hay barn with attached corn barns and pigsty form a large farmyard range with unusual layout. Group value with house and other listed farm buildings at Lower Dyffryn.