Allt-y-fanog

Cadw's description

Location

Remotely situated at end of rough track running below Gellionen chapel across open ground from junction with Gellionnen Road opposite drive to Spa House. Farmhouse is beyond the farmyard and cut into the hillside with ditch to uphill end.

History

Farmhouse, probably C17 with C19 alterations. The house seems to have been built as two unit house with direct entry, uphill hall and downhill heated room, modified to create centre entrance passage. It retains intact two winding stone staircases staircases, which are the most important feature of this house, exceptional both in there being two and for being contained in a lateral outshut rather than placed by the fireplace. The purpose of the two stairs in a house of this size is unclear. Farmed by William Jones, 1926. Wholly derelict 2003 with structural collapse of parts of walls.

Exterior

Farmhouse, rubble stone with remnant of whitewash, slate close-eaved roof and rendered end stacks, the uphill stack largely collapsed. The building follows steep slope of ground and is of vernacular character with irregular front elevation of 2 storeys. Broad 3-window range with sashes to upper floor, hornless 12-pane to left, horned 4-pane to centre, and former hornless 16-pane to right has fallen since listing with much of wall face. Ground floor has off-centre entrance porch flanked by windows with remnants of dripmoulds (6-pane casement glazing in 1992). Gabled rubble porch has slate roof, cambered arched entry the arch cut from timber lintel and boarded door within. Windowless left end wall.
Rear has single-storey added outbuilding to right with end stack, then centre shallow projection with slate roof containing the two staircases, and to left, a deep recess framing in 1992 a ground floor window with loft door above, divided by a single lintel, partially collapsed 2003. Uphill gable end has partially collapsed with much of chimney.

Interior

Interior inaccessible at time of survey. When listed in 1992 there was a stone flagged hall with beams with hollow stops with fillet to chamfers and an altered main fireplace. The outer room was formerly divided by a screen, shown by slot in ceiling beam. Deep splayed window recesses especially to outer room, wall cut back to hall reducing wall thickness. Some C19 boarded doors. The two staircases had cross slab roofs and turned in the same direction within the single rear projection, but the left staircase was blocked.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as avernacular farmhouse of unusual plan form.