3148

 

II  

Designated  

27/01/1987  

29/01/2003  

Llanderfel Farmhouse  

 

Torfaen  

Fairwater  

 

 

326579  

195374  

 

Situated above and to the W of Penmaes Road, reached by a track between between Nos 57 and 58 Rosemead.  

Domestic  

 

Late C16 to early C17 two-unit house, close to site of demolished Llanderfel church. Downhill site with right gable end formerly into hillside. The two units are separated by a massive chimneybreast but marked outside by a small C20 stack. The roofs, renewed since 1987, had some stone tiles left and an undulating profile with exposed rafter ends at eaves, now regularised with eaves boards.  

Farmhouse of whitewashed rubble stone with slate roofs (formerly stone-tiled to upper section), stone left end square external stack, raised in brick and C20 small red brick ridge stack between two units. One storey and attic. Front elevation masked by C20 lean-to dairy addition, gabled lofted outbuilding at left masks left corner of house. Byre attached to left end of house, front wall set back and roof lower. House has one late C20 catslide dormer to roof left, 2 small skylights to right. Gabled projection to left has asbestos-roofed lean-to on end wall. Upper right end wall of house has raised pier left of centre, presumably a chimneybreast truncated below gable, and C20 large casement-pair to attic left. Lower left end has byre to left, C20 window to attic and blocked entry to ground floor, with window, both to right of byre. Garden front has clear division between the 2 units, upper one with slightly higher eaves and two openings both altered in C20. Door with sidelight to left, opening with brick head possibly C19, window to centre with flat brick head and concrete sill. Two skylights. Lower unit to right has 2 large C20 catslide dormers on eaves, with stone sills, square 12-pane sash with brick cambered head to ground floor left (in former door) and similar longer window to centre. Stair light under eaves to extreme right, actually under eaves of lower byre roof. No obvious stonework joints between units or to byre. Byre is windowless to garden side. Entrance side has door to right with cambered double brick head, wide centre opening with timber lintel under similar loft opening and door to left with cambered brick head.  

Within added lean-to are 2 doors, left one present entry, into upper end of lower of 2 units, against side of massive chimney between the units. Winding stone stair backing onto chimney (entry to left of chimneybreast side). Upper room is entered by doorway at upper end of a passageway that runs along front wall of lower unit. Heavy chamfered and stopped frame in recess with thick stone slabs above. Fireplace altered with C19 bread oven and beam cut to accommodate. Heavy chamfered beams, one over fireplace, second in middle with run-out stops, third plastered over narrower, chamfered and stopped joists. Upper bay has plain beam and plain joists. Stairs in fireplace side give access to upper end loft with two collar trusses and one massive purlin, others replaced. There was a door on side of deep chimneybreast. Lower end has stone-flagged passage along front wall with various blocked openings to right of entrance door, a square recess, a straight joint, a recess with splayed sides to narrow blocked loop, and a long recess low down of some 2m long by 0.75m high from floor. Window in lower pine end, said to have been door. Lower room has 7 chamfered joists, end fireplace in very deep chimney breast of some 2.5m depth. Stair to right rebuilt. Roof has large oak truss on stub beams, cut ends of tie-beam, with wall post down to floor level and inserted posts under cut ends. New collar. Attached outbuildings have some heavy loft beams. Byre upper end has massive external chimneybreast of house, rebated to right. C19 loft roof.  

Included as a two-unit house of C17 date which retains considerable character in plan form and interior.