Abernodwydd Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

One of the re-erected buildings in the open-air collection of the Museum of Welsh Life.

History

Brought from Llangadfan, Montgomeryshire and re-erected at the Museum in 1955. C16 in origin. possibly 1578 (Museum), thought to have been altered in 1708 by the insertion of the upper floor and chimney.

The Museum Council had recommended in October 1943 that 'an open-air museum was an essential auxiliary to the National Museum of Wales.' ; 'a Wales in miniature where in the confined area of one hundred acres the visitor will be able to wander through time and space.' This vision was made reality by Lord Plymouth's gift of St. Fagans Castle and Park to the National Museum of Wales in 1946. The gardens were opened to the public in 1947 and the house in 1948 but it was recognised that 'some time must elapse before any ancient houses can be re-erected in the Park'. The purpose of the Museum was that 'from different parts of Wales, farm-houses and buildings which would otherwise fall into ruin or be destroyed will be secured for re-erection, the chosen houses will of course be architecturally, historically and socially significant of Welsh culture'. The first building thus re-erected was the Stryd Lydan barn in 1951 and the ones which are included in the list are those re-erected between that date and 1972 and are thus all more than thirty years on their present site.

Exterior

Timber-framed farmhouse on stone cills. External walls of timber-framed rectangular panels, 12 x 6 x 3, therefore six cubes. The panels are filled with hazel wattle which has been daubed with clay and covered with plaster. Renewed hipped roof of wheaten straw on rafters and hazel rods. Baffle entry single depth plan. Unglazed window openings with wooden mullions and internal shutters. The windows are in panels 2, 7 and 11 from the left and both two and three panels up. The rear elevation has windows only in panel 5.

Interior

Baffle entry; stone smoke-hood fireplace on ground floor - stone chimney above - flanked by post-and-panel partitions; ladder to loft to north-west of fireplace. Post-and-panel partition and two doorways between kitchen or middle room and dairy and bed-chamber at north-east end. Beaten earth floors.

Reason for designation

Included as one of the first complete buildings re-erected at the Museum of Welsh Life, then the Welsh Folk Museum. This building is of considerable historic interest as one of the early exhibits, both for itself and for the way it has been displayed.