3756

 

II  

Designated  

29/05/1968  

29/01/1999  

Llwyn-bedw  

 

Gwynedd  

Betws Garmon  

Caernarfon  

Plas Gwyrfai  

253003  

358260  

W  

Located in an elevated position at the top of a short driveway off the west side of the A 4085 about 1km south of Waunfawr.  

Domestic  

 

House of C17 origin, retaining fabric of this period in the rear wing, later reduced in status and remodelled in the late C18. By the later C19, in common with many farmhouses along the valley between Beddgelert and Waunfawr, it had a waterwheel used to power a butter/gorse mill. The coat-of-arms above the fireplace in the rear wing is that of Collwyn ap Tangno, whose arms also appear above the fireplace at Pant Du, Llanllyfni.  

Farmhouse. Irregularly coursed rubblestone, painted and part rendered to rear range, on boulder plinth; slate roof with coped verges to front part. 2 storeys. Basic L-plan comprising rectangular-plan main range to front, remodelled in late C18, with shorter C17 range to rear. Slightly irregular 3-window front with recessed C20 windows, that to centre on ground floor in position of former doorway; small 4-pane window directly above. Wide expanse of unbroken wall to left probably accounted for by large integral end stack with slate drips; similar stacks to right gable end and to gable end of rear range. Present entrance through C20 lean-to addition in angle between the 2 ranges. Wheel-pit for former waterwheel to right gable end of main range.  

Left ground-floor room has heavy spine and axial beams and exposed joists; open fireplace with chamfered timber lintel; C19 straight-flight staircase with stick balusters and plain rounded newel rises directly from room but would fomerly have been partitioned off from it. Wide fireplace to rear wing with timber lintel, formerly plastered, above which is a mutilated plaster overmantel with part of a shield bearing the coat-of-arms of Collwyn ap Tangno, including a black fleur-de-lys; heavy spine beam and joists as in main range. First floor has wide floor boards visible by stair; main range has boarded ceiling to left room and exposed A-frame truss with double purlins; double purlins also to rear range (originally one large room), which has corner stack to rear right corner. Plank doors throughout house.  

Listed as a C17 minor gentry house, which has later reduced in status to a farmhouse, but which retains substantial elements of its original form (including some interior detail), notwithstanding alterations.