9342

 

II*  

Designated  

07/06/1984  

18/01/1996  

Upper Skynlais (Sgyn-las) Farmhouse  

 

Powys  

Glasbury  

 

Sgynlas  

315847  

239422  

 

The farmhouse is located at the end of a farm lane leading NW from Cwmbach. It stands on the brow of a hill, with its farm buildings on the lower E side.  

Domestic  

 

A large and important farmhouse largely of C17 and later character but with origins as an open-hall house of possible C14 date. The surviving storeyed solar-wing of the medieval building may have been balanced by a now lost south wing. In C18 two owners of the house were High Sheriffs.  

Built of colourwashed stone with slate roof. Two storey and attic, 'L'-plan, comprising a long N-S main block with a forward cross wing at the N end now containing the kitchen, and a hipped service extension added. The main block is of 3 bays, with the entrance in the 3rd bay - boarded door with a 4-paned overlight, set in an stepped ovolo-moulded frame. Renewed timber small-paned cross windows to both floors in original openings with ovolo-moulded timber lintels. Two similar hipped dormers. W gable has 2 further similar windows. Gable stack at S end with weather drip. Narrow cross wing has a rear gable stack, and, on the ground floor, a reconstructed 3-light oak window with diamond mullions and moulded sill and with timber lintel and stone drip with dropped out-turned ends. Gable rendered, and shaped bargeboards. E side of wing has a 5-light transomed window. At the rear, a 2-light paned window with similar lintel and stone drip. Slight evidence of a blocked opening, probably a door to a cross passage, at the junction of the wing with the main range.  

Not accessible at time of inspection (July 1995) but fully recorded by RCAHMW (see National Monuments Record). The line of the screens passage is shown by a crenellated beam and together with a surviving 1st floor partition and two tiers of framing with cusped braces and sockets for windbraces all indicates a house of high social standing. The north cross (solar) wing of the medieval building has survived largely intact; battered walls, broach-stop ceiling beams and in-situ roof trusses of arched-braced type (some braces removed). The ground floor is divided by a square-framed partition including a segmental-arched doorway. In the C17 the medieval hall was storeyed and ceiled with ogee-moulded beams. At the same time the dog-leg staircase was inserted with square newels (formerly with ornate finials) and moulded handrail. Heavy lintel to kitchen fireplace in rear wall. The roof trusses over the main part of the house were replaced c1800 although reusing some C17 and medieval moulded timbers. The building has been carefully restored in mid 1990s  

Listed grade II* as an important example of a medieval winged hall-house remodelled in C17 and retaining substantial historic character.