Secondary House at Plas Canol ('The Bothy')

Cadw's description

Location

To the rear of the main house of Plas Canol, on the E side of the track leading to Tyddyn-y-nant.

History

The building has all the hall-marks of a secondary dwelling dependent on the main house of Plas Canol, one of a series of similar buildings associated with the minor gentry houses of Ardudwy (similar for instance, to that at the nearby Llwyndu). It was probably built as a dower house, and is likely to be of seventeeth century date. At some time, it fell out of domestic use and has latterly been a workshop.

Exterior

A low one and a half-storeyed single unit former dwelling, aligned along the slope. Rubble stone construction with random slate roof; tall stack with moulded cap and drip-stones on right-hand gable. Near-centre doorway with recessed boarded door; flanking fixed-pane 6-light windows renewed in earlier openings, all with crude projecting stone lintels. Small upper window to right, within the thickness of the stack, and a larger blocked opening close to left-hand corner. Single opening (a doorway?) towards centre of rear wall. Extended by a single bay to left, probably in the nineteenth century.

Interior

Originally storeyed, the main stop-chamfered lateral ceiling beam with slots for joists survives, though the upper floor is lost. Collar trusses, mostly replaced. Apparently an undivided single unit, with huge fireplace with timber bressumer at right. Upper room also originally heated, and a smaller fireplace is visible above. Chimney stair to right of fireplace, disturbed. The floor is supported at the fireplace end on rough projecting stone corbels.

Reason for designation

Listed as an integral part of the property of Plas Canol, a clear example of a sub-medieval secondary dwelling which has been scarcely altered.