Hepste Fawr

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on N bank of the River Hepste some 1.2 km NE of Hepste Bridge.

History

Farmhouse and byre, now converted to single house, but up until the late C20 one of the last examples in South Wales of an authentic long-house with entrance to both byre and house by a passage at the top end of the byre. Much modernised in late C20 restoration. Parish church has memorials to William Jones of Hepste, died 1691, and the Walters family, there in the later C19. Occupied by Llewellyn Harris 1926.

Exterior

Farmhouse, rubble stone with slate roofs, two-storeys down-hill sited, the house with stone end chimneys, an attached garage or former cart-shed at upper end and former byre at lower end. House has no external door, two windows each floor, renewed Brecon hopper type windows, 9-pane above, square 12-pane with cambered heads below. Double wooden doors to garage up slope to right, with roof continued over. A stub in wall to left corner of house may indicate a rebuilding of the byre, which is low with cambered-headed door with stone voussoirs at upper end. Grey stone voussoirs. A small square opening to left, then a low loft opening with modern casement pair under eaves and, to left of centre, a former door with bi-colour voussoirs, now with a 12-pane window. Byre end wall has inserted modern window each floor, three vent loops in gable.
Rear of byre has a small lean-to, a window and door to passage (in modern porch), both with stone voussoirs. House has a SW rear wing with end stack and ground floor lean-to. Modern slate-hanging to first floor with long modern window to right. N front of wing has a 9-pane window under eaves to right, and two cambered-headed 12-pane windows below. Rear left of house has similar window each floor. All glazing modern. Stone voussoirs to lower windows.

Interior

Interior not available for inspection.

Reason for designation

Included notwithstanding modern changes for its special historic interest as a traditional farmhouse of long-house plan.