Cae'rwigau Isaf

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in countryside south of Pendoylan Village, along track leading from the Pendoylan to Bonvilston road, located to the south of the moated Cae'rwigau site.

History

Dating from the mid C16th. Occupied in the C16th by the Llewelyn family who were patrons of Dafydd Benwyn, the Glamorgan bard. The Llewelyns were founded by Griffith Fawr, who according to G.T. Clark's work Limbus Patrum (London 1886) was the eighth descendant from Iestyn ap Gwrgan, the last Welsh Prince of Glamorgan (c.1300). At the time of the Llewelyn family, Cae'rwigau was recognised as a manor.

Exterior

Orientated on an east-west axis, C16th two and a half storey , single cell, gable end entry house of limewashed rubble elevations with gabled tile roof with modern one and a half storey range to the west. Gabled, slated roof with two gable stacks and one axial stack of limewashed rubble and simple square form. Two windows per floor, one three light and one single light, retaining original dressed Pennant sandstone mullioned windows with hood moulds over. Sunk chamfer mouldings to the windows and hood mouldings with decorative labels of square form, featuring diagonal crosses. Front elevation retains all original windows, whilst rear elevation retains only one single two-light mullioned window and later timber casements to other original openings. Stair outshut upon rear elevation with two-lights, the ground floor light having been enlarged in the C19th (?). Later two storey porch to front elevation with gable chimney and side entry.

Interior

Entered via later two storey porch of uncertain date, with gable fireplace on northern wall with C19th oven to western side which provides entry to early cell. C16th single cell, retaining original dressed, fine sandstone door surrounds to both the original gable entry and cross corner stair doorways. of four-centred Tudor arch form, with plain chamfers terminating on the jambs with broached Glamorgan stops. Large, dressed sandstone fire surround in the original hall of C16th date and flat arched form with plain chamfers and diagonal stops. Stone, cross corner entry stairs in outshut remain extending to second floor level. Two heavy exposed beams in the hall with medium chamfers and hollow stops with fillet. Original joists lost. At first floor level two original heavy, timber door surrounds to spiral stairways with four centre heads and broach stops. First floor chamber heated by own corbelled stack at western end with fine dressedfire surround of plain chamfered form. This stack formerly external, now internalised by later additions. Massive corbels, now internally exposed in later ground floor room to west of early cell. The early range retains an 'A' frame roof
structure with mortice and tenon jointed collars and trenched purlins.

Reason for designation

Listed as a small C16th yeoman Glamorgan farmhouse, retaining a fine interior.