7531

 

II  

Designated  

10/06/1992  

14/08/1995  

Old Farmhouse at Gwrlodde  

 

Powys  

Talgarth  

 

Gwrlodde  

316201  

231448  

 

Located on a NE facing slope, on the S side of its farmyard, with access by farm road off the minor road from Talgarth to Pengenffordd. The farmhouse is on a cut platform on the upper end of the slope.  

Domestic  

 

The farmhouse was replaced c1910 by a brick house to the E, and work of conversion commenced in 1993.  

The farmhouse has a C16 longhouse derived plan, 1 storey and attic, of rubble stone with a corrugated iron roof. It was originally built on crucks and perhaps timber walled. The second and third bays were probably built of stone to first floor level, and continued in timber framing. The house consists of three bays, an uphill parlour with gable stack and stone stair to the rear, a second room with a stack on the downhill end, separating this from the later kitchen in the byre beyond a cross passage, this last bay linked through a slate roofed bay at right angles, attached to the later barn on the W side of the farmyard. It is possible the uphill end of the house is an early C17 extension. Boarded door to upper bay, with heavy chamfered frame and inserted shaped doorhead. Windows removed, due to be replaced, but diamond mullioned attic window to upper bay. Small window to stair with dripmould in E gable. The second bay was possibly the site of the original cross passage. Door and later inserted cart entrance. The link block to the barn has a slightly lower ridge and different roof construction, and includes a doorway in the angle. The gable end has two blocked openings, internally splayed, indicating that it is earlier than the barn.  

The stone wall between the upper and second bay has an embedded blackened cruck with long saddle piece for a lower roof, the blade notched for a purlin, and the foot, recorded earlier, now no longer visible. Doorway at the N end of the dividing wall also covered. Ogee stopped chamfers to 4 cross beams in upper bay, and similar to lower bays. Low fire lintel in second bay, the fireplace with internal cupboards, and flush doorway on S wall leads to a projecting staircase. Roof trusses have tenoned collars, and halved pegged apex joints, notched for the ridge, the principals springing from projecting stub-bearing plates.  

Included as a farmhouse preserving many important features of the sub-medieval period, and of group value with the attached barn and farm building.