87913

 

II  

Designated  

05/05/2023  

 

Graigfryn  

 

Powys  

Churchstoke  

Montgomery  

Snead  

331661  

292178  

S  

Near the border with England on the southern side of the A489 facing the road, west of Snead farmhouse (7701) and north of St Mary’s Church, Snead (17367).  

Domestic  

Post Medieval  

Small seventeenth century farmhouse in the always very small village of Snead, built in the vernacular tradition of Montgomeryshire. An early inscription of ‘1658 HT’ was recorded in 1999 but has since been lost, while a second later inscription ‘EPA 1740’ survives on a dormer window. The size suggests a lower status occupant than other early houses surviving in Snead. Internal changes suggest the house was subdivided into two cottages, perhaps in 1740, and then re-converted into a single residence at a later date. At the time of the 1841 Tithe survey the house was owned by local farmers William and Samuel Simmons, who also owned the White House immediately west and the old Smithy immediately east. A parallel farm range to the south was lost between the 1882 and 1901 ordnance surveys. In 2023 the house was owned as part of a large poultry farm by PD Hook (Hatcheries) Ltd.  

Timber framed one and a half storey house; 3 bay plan with central chimney. Slate roof, with original central square stone stack chimney in centre at a slight angle to the ridge of the roof. Another later red brick chimney at rear left corner of house. Timber framing exposed in upper floor of front elevation, the rest obscured by render, though all 4 corner posts remain visible. Concrete render has been applied to the stone plinth of the house all around, with large blocks marking corners and doorways. Front elevation has square-panel framing above the mid-rail, with some carpenter’s marks visible on the very wide studs. Lath and plaster panel infills, one with a window occupying one panel directly above the central front. 2 large gabled dormer windows with corbelled brackets, the right hand one bearing the inscription ‘EPA 1740’. The window here is a uPVC replacement in original opening, while others in this elevation are older timber casements, still not original but in original openings. Ground floor rebuilt in brick in Flemish bond between the principal posts that mark the three main structural bays. Original doorway opening on to chimney stack (the door itself replaced in uPVC), with further timber door to the right no longer in use (faces onto interior kitchen wall) and probably added when the house was sub-divided. The other 3 elevations have been covered with render obscuring the timber work. Left side gable end (with brick chimney above) is windowless, timber divide between floors still visible but otherwise wall is covered in plaster. One uPVC kitchen window at ground level in right side gable. Rear wall has a modern enclosed flat roofed porch entrance added at its centre with window replacing infill directly above. Smaller flat roofed dormer on left side. 2 ground floor windows to right bay and 1 to the left, all recent uPVC.  

Original plan remains legible despite some modern alterations. It comprises two rooms either side of central bay containing the chimney and staircase (and perhaps originally a small service room). Front and rear doors give access to this central bay. Present central staircase is a replacement of the original staircase which was likely in the lobby to the rear of the chimney, where the joists are softwood replacements. Main rooms at ground floor have low ceilings with spine beams and chamfered joists with run-out stops. The ends of the main fireplace’s bressummer are visible in the front and rear lobbies, indicating that the current kitchen and shower room on the right was originally the hall; the present living room, which has large southeast corner modern brick fireplace connected to the more recent chimney was probably originally an unheated parlour. Upper floor subdivided to form four bedrooms, the largest in the rear left corner being windowless. Internal trusses to either side of central bay, with very substantial purlins; braces visible in right side bay only with queen-strut structure clearly visible from rear landing. Upper lofted part of roof structure is a mix of oak trusses and rafters and later pine rafters.  

Listed as a good example of a smaller seventeenth century rural house, which has retained its original character through an interesting sequence of alterations in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, despite some more recent alterations such as uPVC windows and render. Group value with Snead farmhouse (7701) which is of similar date.