25038

 

II  

Designated  

19/03/2001  

19/03/2001  

The Grange Farmhouse  

 

Monmouthshire  

Whitecastle  

Monmouth  

Newcastle  

345317  

216609  

 

Close to its own extensive range of farm buildings, approximately 800m SE of Newcastle, off the NE side of a lane which coverges on the B4347 there.  

Domestic  

 

A farmhouse built in several phases, perhaps beginning in the C16, with upper-cruck roof trusses in both the main range and the wing. Possibly an example of a building for two households, i.e. an example of the "unit-system".  

Built of white-painted slobbered rubble, with a brick porch, red concrete pantile roofs and brick chimneys. L-shaped plan formed by a main range of 2 wide bays on a NW-SE axis, with a short crosswing at the SE end and a rear extension to that. The main facade, of 2 low storeys, has a doorway offset slightly L of centre protected by a C19 gabled porch with a keyed round-headed outer arch and a panelled inner door; a modern casement window on each floor to the left (vertically aligned) and similar windows near the angle of the wing to the R. The gable of the wing, which projects about 1m, has a similar but smaller pair of windows offset to the left. The main range has a gable chimney to the left and a ridge chimney aligned slightly to the right of the doorway. The SE elevation is in 2 parts, the rear part stepping forwards and with a lower ridge-line: the former has a window and doorway at ground floor, 2 windows at 1st floor, and a chimney on its rear gable; the other has 2 windows at ground floor but only one above, and a corner chimney. At the rear the main range has a segmental-headed former doorway in the centre (at the rear end of an internal cross-passage) now reduced to a window, 2 small segmental-headed windows at ground floor and 2 square ones above, all with glazing like those at the front. On this side the roof of the rear portion of the wing carries down to ground-floor level, where there is a doorway and one window.  

Contains features of undoubted historical interest, but not immediately intelligible as a whole. The doorway opens into a stone-flagged cross-passage (now closed at the rear). To the N of this is a deep but short room which has a wide rubble chimney stack in the centre of the gable wall, with a massive oak lintel to a wide fireplace. To the L of the stack is a cupboard formerly containing an old spiral stair; and to the R is a modern ¼-turn stair. This room is crossed by 3 long ceiling beams (chamfered but not of high quality) approximately 125cm apart: one against the chimney stack, one in the centre and the third against the partition wall to the passage. In the cross-passage a 4th beam forms the head of the other partition wall. To the SE of the cross-passage an inserted longitudinal partition creates a corridor along the rear wall (an alteration carried out at 1st floor also), but between the cross-passage and the room to its SE is a lost space or void approximately 2m deep (above which is the ridge chimney). In the front portion of the wing, the ground floor room has a massive chamfered lateral beam carrying 5 longitudinal secondary beams, the outer ones against the side-walls. A former fireplace at the NE end of this room is now concealed, but in the outer corner to its right is a doorway opening onto an original spiral staircase. On the upper floor both ranges have upper-cruck trusses: one in each bay of the main range (both with outriggers or dorsals), 2 in the front portion of the wing, and a jointed cruck in the rear portion.  

Included as a C16-C17 vernacular farmhouse retaining traditional character internally, and with a layout suggestive of origins as a "unit-system" farm. Group value with an especially good series of farm buildings (q.v.).