Long Barn Range at Pengwern Hall

Cadw's description

Location

To rear of Pengwern Hall and stepped down to NW of the T-shaped range containing the vaulted undercroft.

History

Pengwern was an important early-medieval settlement home of the ancestors of the house of Mostyn since well before C11. Rhys Sais, who died in 1073, owned this district of Nanheudwy; Lord Iorwerth of Pengwern, born ca 1170, was Seneschal to Prince Madog founder of Valley Crucis Abbey and Bishop Trevor II was of this family. By the earlier C15 a settlement at Mostyn had become the family's main residence, however, Pengwern remained in their ownership until ca 1850. Local tradition is that Pengwern was a convent and grange of Valley Crucis Abbey, however this is not documented. Approximately a century lies between the move to Mostyn and the dissolution of the Monastries in 1536 but neverthless is remained a family home and despite a modest revival it is not a period when one would expect the Abbey to be taking on new estates.

Possibly built in C17, with insertions of door and window openings as on adjoining range ca 1770. A major fire took place in C19 resulting in some reroofing and enlargement; later additions at lower end.

Exterior

Rubble, slate roof with freestone dressings. The upper 8 bays form a single block and have two tiers of ventilation holes to top. Below is a central 2 light cusped window with filleted mullion (C19 glazing behind). It is flanked to either end by boarded doors with freestone surrounds camber headed to left and elliptical headed to right once with gabled hood. All these are presumably reused from Valle Crucis Abbey. Small window to extreme right. There is a vertical masonry break to left, beyond which the building is C19, rubble with red brick surrounds to ventilation slits. Later red brick stable lean-to at front. Broad opening to gable end and cross range behind. Outside steps at rear at the angle with the cross range.

Reason for designation

Group value with Pengwern Hall and the T-shaped range.