9679

 

II  

Designated  

21/11/1988  

21/11/1988  

Cowhouse & Corn Store (including attached range to E.) at Brixton Farm  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Laugharne Township  

 

 

228838  

212295  

 

Reached by a farm track S off the by-road leading to the A4066. Set across the slope and with farmhouse to W.  

Agriculture and Subsistence  

 

 

Mid C19 tall and long rubble farmbuilding with asbestos roof; whitewashed left end and rear. The main range comprises a stable to the left and a transverse end feeding passage cowhouse to the middle and cartshed to right with full length hayloft above. Brick voussoirs to ground floor openings except the taller and segmental cart entrance; the stable opening is round arched with fanlight and the 3 cowhouse doorways are square headed; boarded doors. 2 'portholes' with brick surrounds flank central door; further large 'portholes' above. 8 brace plates, probably originally tramway wheels. The 3 loft door openings have been partly blocked; winch retained. Pigeon boxes along the full length with perch ledge; 6 tiers of similar boxes to left end which has a rubble extension and blocked former stable window. Single storey rear with further boarded doors opening directly onto the hayloft. Beyond the adjacent octagonal horse engine house is a lean-to extension and below is a full length tunnel passage for drainage' entered from near the left gable end and from the attached range. This is at a splayed angle and set back from the cowhouse; 2-storey and slightly lower with similar masonry. Camber headed doorway to left opening onto the former chaff room and semicircular headed blocked doorway to right formerly to stable; loft door above. The right hand gable end is asymmetrical due to later widening at rear (see vertical masonry break and brick infill); slit ventilators to end and twin segmental cart openings below and broader similar opening in extension below recessed loft door.  

The interior of the cowhouse is of particular interest being segmentally vaulted in brick; the stable at left is separately vaulted, the cowhouse has continuous vault with triangular shaped punched ventilators and the cartshed to right is transversely vaulted. The hay loft above has 10 bay roof; A-frame trusses with overlapping purlins. Long boarded threshing floor with threshing and winnowing machinery remaining. the corn store was at the right end with chute leading to chaff room below in attached range. the right hand end of this range is now used as a further cowhouse but originally had a wheel pit with water wheel fed from ponds to E - the wheel remains on the farm.  

An especially fine example of this type of farm building. Group value with the farmhouse, the Horse Engine and the Cartshed and stable.