Ye Olde Mason's Arms PH

Cadw's description

Location

On corner with The Butts.

History

Main wing on E-W axis comprises a 2-unit hall house of circa 1400, with hall to E divided by cross-passage from service room to W. The building abutted the Medieval town wall and W gate on the NW. The house was converted to a storeyed house in C17, with addition of bay window. Later projecting wing also at NW end and later rear wing.

RCAHM Inventory has reconstruction drawing of building and town's West Gate.
The building incorporates parts of the medieval town wall.

Exterior

Two storeys. Stone rubble walls, the front elevation with stuccoed cladding to ground floor and roughcast cladding with applied timber framing to the upper floor. Slate roofs, the main wing with gabled roof and centre stone stack, the projecting wing with hip. Hall wing was probably open to the roof but with storeyed cross-passage and outer rooms; base of a medieval window is in situ in South wall. From SE end, front elevation of hall wing of two bays; to left hand on ground floor, square bay window of early origin with moulded stone frame, formerly with stone mullions but now with inset windows with small panes; adjoining it to NW, a pointed medieval window of two trefoiled lights; to right hand, modern half-glazed porch. Two sash windows four panes wide on first floor.

Probably early C19 NW projecting wing with ground floor sash window in SE Wall; top-hung casement three panes wide in front wall. In NW wall, modern window (ex-door?) with canopy over and sash window of 6 panes to right hand. Stuccoed NW gable end of main wing with old window with small panes on first floor and lean-to wing, possibly staircase chamber, against it. Stuccoed NW elevation of C18 to C19 rear wing with three sash windows and a two-light casement on first floor; this NW wall with battered base but not of great thickness. Lower extension (corrugated roof), then garden wall.

Interior

Inside, the building has been converted to a semi-open plan public house, but retains C17 stopped and chamfered beams and corbelled fireplace; arched doorway to rear wing. Said to retain three plain original principal rafters.

Reason for designation

Extremely rare example of town house retaining medieval features on important site in conservation area. The walls to The Butts are along the line of the Medieval walls of Cowbridge, and incorporate in their footings parts of the old walls. Group value with neighbouring listed buildings.