24291

 

II  

Designated  

27/10/2000  

27/10/2000  

Pentwyn Farmhouse & attached Granary, Dairy, Cowhouse and Corn Barn  

 

Monmouthshire  

Whitecastle  

Abergavenny  

Llantilio Crossenny  

338787  

213424  

 

Approximately 2km SW of Llantilio Crossenny, at the end of a farm track which runs E off the minor road from Llantilio Crossenny to Llanarth.  

 

 

Although present house is largely C18 in character, an older building may have existed on the site. The exposed timbers in exterior wall of Pentwyn may be part of an earlier timber-framed house, later encased in stone. Whatever its origins, the house was substantially remodelled in the early C18 to form the present Renaissance-style farmhouse. In C19 new windows were inserted, since then there have been few changes. The 1843 Tithe Map marks the house as belonging to Elizabeth Taddy (Llantilio Court) and occupied by David Jones. The attached corn barn is probably early C18, the granary probably early C19, and the dairy and cowhouse later C19.  

Large C18 farmhouse, with attached granary, dairy, cowhouse and barn, forming irregular linear range. House has rubble stone walls, with ashlar and brick dressings. Slate roof is hipped to NE and has brick end- stacks. NW front is two-and-a-half-storeys. Left side of elevation has exposed timbers built into the stonework of exterior wall. Attic roof slope has two gabled dormers with 8+8 pane casements. On first floor are two 16-pane sash windows with cambered brick arches, brick jambs and shallow stone sills (left), and a smaller 2+2 pane casement with stone sill (right). Ground-floor has a similar corresponding sash (left), blocked door opening with inserted 4-pane window (centre), and small lean-to porch with single light window (right). Garden front is three storey and has ashlar quoins. Windows have cambered brick arches and shallow stone sills, ground-floor windows with brick jambs. On second floor are two 6+6 pane casement windows. First floor has three tall C20 casement-type windows with 3+3 panes. On ground floor (centre) is a C20 gabled wooden conservatory, flanked on each side by a 16-pane sash window. To right of house, NW front has projecting gable of attached granary. External stone stair winds to upper boarded door. To right of door, square stone stack with brick flue rises above projecting bread oven. On ground floor left is a glazed C20 entrance door (to back kitchen). To right of granary is attached single-storey dairy and beast house, which has (l to r) a C19 boarded door with 3-panes, then a 6+6+6+6 pane casement window with stone sill, next a boarded door with strap hinges, and lastly a similar boarded door with rectangular 3-pane overlight. Projecting to right is large attached corn barn. Central threshing floor has boarded doors. Long wall to left has tall vent slit. Wall to right has lean-to with corrugated metal roof, and three boarded doors (one with vent slits).  

From garden front, boarded door opens into lobby, with centre staircase (opposite) separating the principal ground-floor rooms on each side. Parlour (to right) has four massive, square-section, axial ceiling beams. Dining room (to left) has chamfered transverse ceiling beam. Opening off dining room is a C18 boarded door to back kitchen, which has chamfered ceiling beams with runout stops. C18 straight stair with closed string has square newel posts with bead at angles and waisted finial with domed cap, rectangular beaded balusters and shaped rail. To right of stair is former pantry. First floor bedroom has C18 plank and batten door with applied fillets. Staircase of winders rises to habitable attic of 5-bays. Roof has been raised, probably in C19. Collar truss roof has unusual curved blades which run from soffit of collar to mortices in top of floor beams. Rafters on each side are supported on raised blocking pieces. Interior of attached granary not available at time of inspection (November 2000). Corn barn of 6 bays has stone-flagged threshing floor and raking queen strut trusses, with one row of purlins, and lofted cowhouse at lower end. The interior walls of the cowhouse have honeycomb pattern vent holes to brickwork.  

Substantial C18 farmhouse showing some Renaissance influence with well-preserved interior, including good staircase and unusual roof. House and attached farm buildings form a well-preserved farmstead group.