Bryn Dinas

Cadw's description

Location

Reached by a short farm road on the N side of the minor road through Cwm Maethlon, approximately 5.3km SE of Tywyn.

History

A late medieval cruck-framed hall house retaining an arched-brace truss suggesting a 2-bay hall and therefore a house of gentry status. It was converted to a storeyed house in the mid C17 when the fireplace, upper floor and stair were inserted. Alterations in the C19 include the present fenestration, its dairy and a short rear wing.

Exterior

A 1½-storey 3-window house of rubble stone, cement-rendered to the front and L gable end, graded-slate roof behind a coped gable to the R, with a central stone square stack, and a rendered square stack to the L. Openings are mainly late C19. A recessed panel door is to the L of centre beneath a simple slate hood, and is flanked by 4-pane horned sash windows and a small casement window further R. Three gabled dormers have 4-pane horned sash windows. The R gable end has a loft door. The L gable end has 4-pane sash windows, smaller to the attic, offset to the rear side.

In the 3-window rear is a 1-storey wing to the R with sash window and half-glazed door. Hall and inner room each have an inserted 2-light small-pane casement window. To the R of centre is a small stair window.

Interior

The house has a 3-unit plan. The entrance has a residual cross passage, with rear doorway, now opening to the rear wing, opposite the front doorway. The L-hand room retains a cross beam with run-out stop. The hall to the R has a joist-beam ceiling whose spine beam has fillet stops. The large fireplace has a timber lintel and to its R is a stone stair. Two former inner rooms are partitioned off by a C19 post-and-panel screen, of which the dairy on the L retains slate slabs. Two half cruck trusses remain visible. The central arched-brace truss is finely moulded and has a moulded boss, suggesting that it was the open truss of a 2-bay hall (any ornamentation above the arched brace is concealed by plaster). The second truss, in the inner rooms, is plainer and has a collar beam. The lower storey has a flagstone floor.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* for its special architectural interest as a late medieval house showing evidence of changes over many centuries, although retaining its C17 plan and, with the listed farm buildings, forming part of a strong farm group retaining its historical integrity.