6776

 

II  

Designated  

17/01/1963  

28/10/2005  

The Old Vicarage  

 

Powys  

Maescar  

Brecon  

Defynnog  

292480  

227949  

 

Situated down drive running N of the churchyard in Defynnog village.  

Domestic  

 

Vicarage, early C18 probably incorporating earlier house. Dated on a roof truss 1721 with a trellis symbol that may be a monogram for MW. The Rev Moses Williams became vicar in 1716, and married in 1718. He was a distinguished Welsh scholar and bibliographer, Fellow of the Royal Society. It is said to have been rebuilt again c. 1779 by the Rev. H. Vaughan, vicar 1773-83, according to Theophilus Jones writing in 1800. There was once a veranda along the N front, from marks in the paving, and to S are remains of stone terraces.  

Former vicarage, painted roughcast with steep hipped roofs, swept out at eaves with paired brackets, and four rendered end stacks, the two on rear range renewed. Double-pile plan with two parallel roofs. Two-storey, three-window front range with hornless sashes, 12-pane above, 16-pane below and centre door with flat hood on long brackets (supported on C20 rendered side walls). Six-panel door, two glazed, two fielded and two flush panels. Rear is rendered and has mostly renewed horned 16-pane sashes with concrete sills, one large one in centre lighting the stair, with door beneath, one each floor each side.  

Four-room plan with centre passage to stairs at rear. Fielded panelled 6-panel doors. Apart from two stone piers that rise through the house to carry the roof, partitions divide the rooms from the passage and from each other, the NE and SE rooms with deep elliptical arched recesses back-to-back in the partition and another in SW room. NE room has fielded panelled shutters, cupboard to left of alcove, C19 chimney-piece, plastered beam. SE room has moulded beam, an ovolo moulding between two hollow mouldings, shutters with sunk panels. NW room has two beams, corner fireplace with massive chamfered and stopped lintel, possibly C16 and way through to narrow modern piece on W side. Stairs are dog-leg with pulvinated string, thin turned balusters, square newels and moulded handrail, up to landing. Stairs above have modern square balusters apart from a short piece of original on next landing. First floor rooms have fielded panelled doors, plastered beams and some fielded panelled shutters. One bedroom has pane of glass inscribed James Symmonds with an unreadable date. There was a cellar under the NW front room, infilled. Cellar steps under main stairs, in stone, to SW cellar, with wine racks. Cellar extended under modern W addition, suggesting that it is on site of an earlier range.  

Included as a well-preserved early C18 vicarage, of special historical interest for connection with the Rev. Moses Williams.