7591

 

II*  

Designated  

10/03/1953  

18/02/2005  

Talgarth  

 

Powys  

Trefeglwys  

 

Talgarth  

296296  

290229  

 

Located on the S side of a no-through road which runs SW from Trefeglwys following Afon Trannon. The house is on the S banks of the river, approx. 1.1 km from Trefeglwys.  

Domestic  

 

Said to have been the seat of the Lords of Arwystli. An exceptional example of the Montgomeryshire timber-framed, storeyed, lobby-entry house. Despite a relatively late date of c1660, the only Renaissance influence is the oriel windows to the parlour end. Some alterations occurred during the Victorian period, including a brick service wing to the NW and the insertion of a staircase through the large chimney stack. A Victorian porch was removed in the late C20. Pitched stone floors have been recorded here.  

A large 4-window house of 2 storeys-and-an-attic, constructed of close-studded timber-framing on a stone plinth. Slate roof, hipped to L end, large brick stack to R of centre. There are 4 tiers of close-studding with diagonal braces; the E gable end is jettied to each storey, the gable of small panels with diagonal quartering; C19 barge boards with pierced decoration. The W gable end was rebuilt in brick, now slate-hung, and the roof was hipped. At the same time a service range was constructed to the W of the rear elevation. The house has a lobby-entrance to R of centre, the doorway with a triangular timber head and containing a late C20 boarded oak door. The windows to the front elevation are C19 moulded wooden casements. Flanking entrance, 4-light windows with transom and mullions. To far L, 3-light casement with horizontal glazing bars. The 1st floor has similar windows, all 4-light except that to far L which is 3-light. Four gabled dormers to attic, all timber-framed with slate-hung sides and containing 3-light casements. Two small cellar windows to L. The jettied parlour gable end has moulded bressumers and central 5-light oriel windows to ground and 1st floors, retaining their original C17 moulded timber mullions; 3-light timber-mullioned window to gable. The C19 W gable end has a round-headed stairlight with small-pane glazing. To the rear, the house has a doorway opposite the stack containing a late C20 half-glazed wooden panelled door. Wooden casement windows of similar date, 2 x 3-light to L of door and 4-pane to its R. 1st floor has similar windows aligned above, and a 4-pane window above the door. Added to the R is the C19 service range consisting of a 2-storey hipped-roofed block, an outshut, and a narrow single-storey range projecting to the W. The former has a window to each storey under a segmental brick head, a 6-over-2-pane horned sash above a large 3-light top-hung window. Mainly C20 wooden windows elsewhere and doorway into single-storey range.  

Inside the lobby-entrance is an exceptionally large chimney breast with back-to back fireplaces; this was pierced in the C19 by a timber staircase, still leaving the fireplaces intact. The interior walls are unplastered, revealing fine close-studding. Former parlour to R of entrance has a ceiling with deeply chamfered, ogee-stopped spine beams and plain joists, the beams supported on decorated corbels. Small C19 fireplace with triangular head, presumably infill of the original fireplace. The former hall to the L has a similar ceiling with ogee-stopped spine beams, the large brick fireplace with slightly chamfered timber lintel. Close-studded partition wall opposite, to a small service room. C19 addition to rear, including the current kitchen. To 1st floor, the room over the parlour has a ceiling with ogee-stopped spine-beam and cross-beam; good oak floor. Central landing with stair continuing to attic storey and passage along rear wall to L, leading to a C19 back-staircase. The attic storey has good tie-beam trusses with substantial arched collars and 2 pairs of large purlins; the W room has an original doorway.  

Listed grade II* as an outstanding example of the vernacular C17 timber-framed, lobby-entry type house in Montgomeryshire, with fine Renaissance detailing to the parlour end.