24515

 

II  

Designated  

12/01/2001  

12/01/2001  

Pen y Rhiw with adjoining farm ranges  

 

Powys  

Llanafanfawr  

Builth Wells  

Llysdinam  

299275  

258093  

 

Located at the end of a track which runs W from Llysdinam village. On a prominence above the Estyn Brook, with byre at the uphill end.  

Domestic  

 

The interior arrangement of hall with end stack, 2 inner rooms and an adjoining byre suggest C17 origins. The house was refronted and probably raised in the early C19, when it was part of an estate. A service unit with granary was added to the downhill end, perhaps in the late C19, and a barn added to the byre.  

Symmetrical 3-window 2-storey house, constructed of rubble stone under a slate roof with wide boarded eaves and stone end stack to L. Large dressed stone quoins and jambs. Small 2-light casement windows with stone sills under flat-arched heads of stone voussoirs with raised keystones. Lean-to timber porch to centre with corrugated roof, inside which is a planked door with head as windows. To the L is the service unit, also of 2 storeys, but lower. Late C20 stable door with small light to L and 2-light casement to R, both with segmental brick heads. Top-hung window to centre of upper storey. The windows have blue brick sills. No openings to S gable end or rear of service unit, but skylight to rear roof pitch. The rear of the house has a small window with stone head to each storey, offset to the L to the lower storey, and to the R to the upper storey. The N gable of the house is of red brick, with lower 3-door byre adjoining. It is of rubble stone with stable doors, and appears to have been rebuilt above door head level, where it has louvred timber panels under a slate roof. An opening in the centre was probably for a loft hatch. Large lean-to to rear. The long range adjoining the byre is at a slight angle. It is of stone with large quoins and brick to the upper level, under a corrugated iron roof. Cart bay to L with wicket gate. Full-height double planked doors to barn with ventilation slit to R. Stable door with concrete lintel to far R leading into stable. Door to gable end with loft hatch above. Single planked door to rear.  

The front door leads into the hall, which has a large stone fireplace to the L end with segmental stone lintel of large voussoirs and a keystone. In the R jamb is a bakeoven with flat head. To the R, in the corner of the room, is a dog-leg wooden staircase which turns away from the fireplace. The ceiling has a large central spine beam with narrow chamfer and exposed joists. The inner rooms are to the R of the doorway. That to the L has a salting slab supported on brick piers, and exposed joists to the ceiling. Flagstone floors and planked doors throughout. A door to the L of the hall fireplace leads into the kitchen which also has a spine beam with narrow chamfer. A small fireplace backing onto the hall fireplace and with similar stone head, is blocked, and to its L in an area of brick infill with a bakeoven. Wood planked floors upstairs. Inside the byre is a central feedwalk with planked partitions. Ceiling with loft over. The interior walls are of stone except for the brick dividing wall between house and byre. Two rear doors with timber lintels lead into a lean-to. The barn in the added range is 3-bay. It has a central wagon bay with flagstone floor and small doorway to the rear. Low planked partitions to sides supporting open timber-framing. Pegged roof with queen struts. The gables are of brick with narrow timber struts. To the R end is a doorway infilled with blockwork which formerly led into the stable. The stable is open but originally contained 2 stalls, and has a manger and hayrack to the L.  

Listed as a farmhouse with sub-medieval origins and a fine early C19 front, retaining its character and detail.