655

 

II*  

Designated  

04/01/1966  

25/09/2003  

Pen-y-bryn  

 

Powys  

Llansilin  

 

Pen-y-bryn (near Talwrn)  

320137  

327063  

 

To west of farm buildings, 1 km south-west of the village of Llansilin.  

Domestic  

 

Early C16 or possibly C15. A fine but late example of a quasi-aisled hall. It is one of the important houses of the vicinity mentioned in the Llyfr Silin of the late C17. The house has been carefully restored. The carpentry of the spere truss has design similarities with Hafod in the same Community. The house was later converted to storeyed form, with inserted chimney and fine C17 stairs. A hypothetical cross-wing at the lower end proposed by the Royal Commission may have been lost; in its place there is a bay in line with the main range, in stone, with the locally orthodox feature of a floor at a level lower than that of the main part of the house (compare Moeliwrch in same Community).  

A 1½-storey former farmhouse of four surviving units, sited downslope, ranging east/west. The house (now) faces south to a small walled raised forecourt. Timber-framed at front and left apart from the right hand bay which is stone-walled. Modern stone-walled low lean-to extension at rear. Large chimney at the west (upslope) gable, roofed over. The roof is slated, with a tile ridge; large chimney opposite the main entrance, with ribbed double shafts in stone. The timber-framed part of the south elevation contains two five-light timber mullion windows below and two four-light timber-mullion dormer windows in line above, with slightly jettied dormer gables. Doorway at right with Tudor arch; restored door. The lower bay is in small slate uncoursed masonry with sandstone quoins. East gable elevation with small windows, segmental heads, no sills. The lower window is cast iron with small panes in three lights.  

Two bay hall plan with cross passage below, two inner rooms above, with superb original carpentry (see Smith, fig.48). The main truss over the centre of the original hall (unequal bays) consists of base crucks with an arch-braced capping collar beam, cusped timbering above. Cusped windbraces to the chamfered arcade plate. The soffit of this truss is decoratively carved. At the upper end of the house there is an aisled crossframe with doors to the inner room(s) and post and panel infill. The spere truss, at the lower end, is carved in the manner of posts with caps. The spere posts are carved as four colonettes separated by keels (as at Hafod in this Community). The end frames are also of aisled form. Butt purlins, no ridge beam. When altered to storeyed form (probably early C17), the house was given a staircase described by Hughes (see his fig 12) as striking: carved newels with elaborate finials; wide balusters designed to follow the pitch of the stairs and carved on all faces.  

A house of fine vernacular character which has been very well restored, with exceptional interest especially internally for its historic carpentry.