25031

 

II  

Designated  

19/03/2001  

19/03/2001  

Pen-y-fedw Farmhouse  

 

Monmouthshire  

Whitecastle  

Monmouth  

Llangattock-vibon-avel  

344343  

214810  

 

Approximately 1.2km W of The Hendre croosroads, at the end of a track in an isolated and deeply rural situation overlooking Llymon Brook.  

Domestic  

 

This building is one of a number of examples in this area of C17 or early C18 enlargement by the addition of a 2-storey range across one end of an earlier and smaller house. Others include Graig House (Cross Ash), Trebella (Cross Ash), Red House Farm (Llangattock-vibon-avel), and Steps Farm (Rockfield).  

Constructed of slobbered roughly-coursed mixed rubble (formerly rendered), with stone slate roofs; with some timber-framed fabric surviving internally. At least three principal phases of building have resulted in an L-shaped plan, the earliest phase represented by a 1-bay, 1½-storey range on a roughly E-W axis, originally timber framed but subsequently rebuilt in stone; with a 2-storey range of 2 unequal bays built across its E end, apparently in 2 builds in the later C17. The present appearance of the exterior is largely the result of works by the present owner (since c.1980) to undo C19 alterations and restore the character of the C17 building. The E front of the C17 main range has a plain C19 doorway offset strongly to the right (a recently-constructed wall now enclosing its lower half), and restored windows: a 3-light wooden mullion-and-transom window to the right of the doorway, a similar window in the centre of the left-hand portion, wooden mullioned windows above these of 3 and 2 lights to left and right respectively, and 2 restored 2-light dormers on the roof of the S bay. At the N gable is a large extruded and stepped stone chimney-stack which has a low sloped bread-oven extension to the rear of its base, and at 1st floor above this is a 1-light window with a hoodmould; and on the S gable is a C19 brick chimney. The rear of the S bay of this range has an inserted doorway (now the main entrance) and a restored 3-light mullioned window above this. The S side of the earlier range, which is of one bay, has recently-inserted openings at ground floor and a large gabled dormer on the roof; its gable wall has a restored wooden mullion windows of 3 lights at ground floor (in an original opening) and an inserted 4-light window above; and attached to its NW corner is a low outbuilding added by the present owner, with an old oak door relocated from its original position in the S side of the wing. The N side of the wing has a small original 4-light window with diamond-set wooden mullions.  

An important feature of the interior is the junction of the earlier range with the later, where close-studded timber-framing is exposed on both floors, the E side weathered: indicating that it was formerly an external wall and suggesting that the whole of that range was formerly timber-framed.The ground floor of this part has a ceiling beam which is a re-used rail of a timber-framed wall, re-used on its side. In the main range, the N bay (adjoining the rear wing) has 3 large lateral ceiling beams with deep chamfer and long bar/tongue stops, probably ex-situ; a wide stone fireplace (with an oak lintel inserted by the present owner); and in its SW corner a ¼-turned staircase enclosed by horizontal boarding with a board door which appear to be of C18 date. The S bay has 3 lateral beams of similar character to those in the N bay but with smaller chamfer and stops: one in the centre, one in the partition wall and another close to the gable wall; and a large brick bread-oven built into the SE corner. On the upper floors, the partition between the bays is of studwork. There is a principal-rafter roof truss in the N bay, heavily off-centre, being approximately 1m from the partition; and in the S bay the 1st floor has 2 chamfered lateral beams, one of which passes across the front of the chimney breast, and the attic contains a principal-rafter truss of high quality (probably ex situ) with plank partitioning applied to it.  

Included as a traditional regional farmhouse retaining evidence of an interesting development sequence in which an orifginal timber-framed building was rebuilt and enlarged in stone. Restored so as to retain vernacular character.