7920

 

II*  

Designated  

25/04/1950  

24/01/1995  

Trewern Hall  

 

Powys  

Trewern  

 

Trewern  

326807  

311409  

NW  

The house lies off the N side of the A 458(T), on a low spur in the flood plain of the River Severn valley, from which it is partially protected by the dykes erected after the 'Argae Act' of 1788 and later.  

Domestic  

 

Large farmhouse, c.1560, and 1610 for Robert Francis. Much altered c. 1840 for Francis Allen, and extensively restored by M.J.Garner for M.Ll. Chapman, including some remodelling, 1985-6 (SW end) and 1993-4 (NE end). Timber framed with renewed slated roofs, random jointed on front elevation. Two storeys and attics.  

Plan: Two bay low hall originally with lateral stack, now replaced with a major brick axial stack of c.1840 forming a lobby entry at E end, behind which is the earlier two-bay cross wing built on a slightly different alignment, later the kitchen with service dairy to the rear, and now forming a separate dwelling. At the high end, a 2 bay cross wing with parlour and service room behind a stack axial to the wing, the parlour side of the stack formerly painted in grey and sanguine horizontal stripes. The entrance is covered by a 2-storey gabled porch, and the upper end of the hall opens to an oriel bay at the front, and probably a similar arrangement at the rear, now a stair tower replacing an assumed stair enclosure at the side of the rear wall stack. Timber frame is close studded with one central rail to each storey, the upper panel of the upper floor, divided by studs and rails forming small square panels with decorative angle braces. The upper floor of the porch and oriel are jettied on dragon-beam brackets supported by carved scrolls, and the gables have similar decorated timbering, while the main parlour gable has herringbone work. The earlier framing of the service wing is square panelled. The porch appears to have been open to the front, with high windows both sides, the outer door frame head now bearing the reset inscription RF 1610. The framing of the west gable and south wall of the parlour wing and the hall was replaced with stone c.1840, and the stair relocated at the west end of the cross passage. The restoration work involved the raising of the front of the building by approx 450mm where the posts and plates had failed, and building a new oak-framed extension of the service wing, forming a wider gable and enclosing the swelling of the oven behind the main stack. Ribbed brick stack to main hall and parlour wing, rebuilt on a star pattern on evidence found of the original form. New oak entrance door, and mostly new windows throughout comprising applied oak frames of C17 pattern on shaped sill pieces, but the shaped sills of the earlier wing are integral with the frame as was the original. Diamond leaded glazing.  

The hall has a spine beam with reserved arris ovolo mouldings. Main stack fire lintel is a reused fire lintel reset c. 1860. Ceiling beams elsewhere have ovolo or deeply chamfered beams and chamfered joists. Cut stops at parlour end. New oak boarded doors on contemporary pattern on wrought strap hinges. Trimming survives for ladder access to the first floor in the service wing. Bridled longitudinal joints. Roof trusses of earlier wing have high set collars, small raking struts and double tier of trenched purlins. Short straight windbraces. Trusses over hall originally closed over cross passage. Rafters tenoned into a single tier of purlins. Tie has initials and date RF 1610.  

Graded II* as the major house of Trewern, occupied by the Lloyd, Francis, Whittaker and later families, heavily restored but with sound knowledge and in the light of much existing evidence.