Ley Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Green Lane leads off a minor road from Halton to Chirk Green, connecting with Colliery Road in Chirk. Ley Farm is aligned on the lane, approximately 120m from the road junction.

History

The farmhouse is claimed to be originally built on lands of Valley Crucis abbey, and occupying the position of a grange, used by lay brothers, for which there is a conveyance in the Chirk Castle Estate Papers dated 1366. The present building is probably C16 in date, built on crucks, and comprises 3 bays with a cross wing at the W end now occupied by the new (1998) extension. It was within the Brynkinallt township but was exchanged by John Trevor in 1828 in an exchange of land with the Myddletons. It was acquired by the Pearce family in 1911.

Exterior

Built of brick enclosing a cruck-framed structure, and painted, with a concrete tile roof. Three bays, comprising a central living room, opening to a kitchen in the E end bay, and a parlour behind an axial stack. Canted bay windows to the living room and parlour linked by a continuous roof over the doorway, and bow window to the kitchen. Two dormers on the S, 3 to the front, to be replaced with smaller gabled dormers. The N front has a lean-to former dairy and a modern glazed porch containing the main C20 entrance door. Gable stack. The extension (incomplete at Jan 1998) is of brick, with a pitched roof, to be slated. The S side has a door opposite the stack, and cut stone quoins at the SE corner.

Interior

Two major cruck trusses survive, one originally open with ogee shaped blades springing from a sill at low level, and knee braces to the collar. Apex butted vertically. The hall was floored over in the C17, the cross ceiling beam chamfered with bold ogee stops, and similar stops to the minor joists. The roof was probably raised to provide an attic storey at the same time, a rafter on the back of the blades reducing the roof pitch, and carrying the raised trenched purlins. Chamfered cross beam in the parlour end. The W gable end has square panel framing set above a high sill wall of stone, infilling the frame below the sharply elbowed end cruck couple. Mortices for windbraces present, the braces removed when the roof was raised. Axial stack with a high-set fire lintel.

Reason for designation

Included as a significant post-medieval cruck framed house, retaining much of its character internally, notwithstanding external alteration..