87674

 

II  

Designated  

18/06/2014  

 

The Old Court  

 

Powys  

Kerry  

 

Hodley  

316931  

291118  

 

Located approximately 150m to the east of the B4368 from Kerry to Abermule, just to the south of the hamlet of Hodley.  

Domestic  

Multiperiod  

Constructed in the late 16th Century as a 2 bay timber framed end lobby entry house. Altered and extended in the mid 17th Century with addition of a two storey gabled cross-wing to the right, possibly replacing a bay of the house, the main range also raised to provide a full height first floor. Altered again in the 18th Century with internal replanning moving the kitchen from the service room of the orignal house into the 17th Century parlour and the creation of a cellar belwo the original service room. Probably during the 18th Century, the wattle and daub infill panels were replaced with brick, although the main elements of the front framing were retained and the rear and gable elevations were also encased in brick. The building was used as a Manorial Courthouse in the early 17th Century and the Court Rolls are in The National Library of Wales. It was derelict during the 1996 resurvey of Kerry but recently repaired and refurbished at the time of inspection (january 2014) when a glazed single storey lean-to extension was added to the rear and the mid 20th Century single storey brick range to the rear of the cross wing was rebuilt.  

House, timber framed with brick infill panles on stone plinth, slate roof and casement windows. Two storey two bay main range comprising hall and service with gabled cross wing to right. Square panelled framing , the main range clearly raised in height, with wall plate and other elements of original framing clearly visible. Infill panels exposed to house range and rendered cross wing. Original main range has boarded door offset to the right, in line with brick ridge stack and gabled porch. Small inserted window to right (lighting stair to crosswing), further 6 and 8 light windows on ground floor to hall and service end and 6 light window to first floor. Small brick gable stack. Brick gable with 6 light window to ground floor, 4 light to first, both offset. Rear elevation with part glazed lean-to to right, single 6 light casement and two gabled domers above. Cross-wing of 3 tiered box framed construction to right, two 4 light casements and further similar window in gable, front and rear. Attached single storey brick range to rear.  

Hall in original main range has large fireplace to right, with lobby entrance in front of it and passage through right hand cross wing at its rear. 10th Century fireside and settles and mantle. The left wall of the hall is a timber framed partition with the service end and beyond, with 2 doorways in the partition, one to the front of the builiding leading to stone steps down to the cellar under the service end and a second doorway at the rear leading to the service end to the left. Both doorways have been altered with door heads cut back and raised. Axial beam with broad chamfers and diagonal stops, posibly a later insertion. Service end with gable fireplace and timber partition enclosing cellar steps. Cross wing to right with large fireplace backing onto that of the hall and integral framed partition (altered) for pantry. First floor accessed by modern stairs off lobby entrance leading to chamber of the cross wing with in-situ purlins visible and to the other side chambers over both hall and service end. Service chamber formerly partitioned into two. Exposed framing and trusses, the trusses probably raised and reused.  

Included for its special architectural interest as a good example of a regional vernacular farmhouse. It largely retains its original form, plan and fabric and is recognisable as a lobby-entry timber framed house of late 16th Century, later extended and altered with a good cross wing of mid 17th Century.