Former Farmhouse at Cefn-yr-Own-Uchaf

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the upland area 4km to the E of Arthog, approximately 0.2km N of the Ffordd Ddu; accessed via a steep farm track leading off the road and situated in a farmyard immediately to the S of the present farmhouse.

History

The Cefn-yr-Owen locality represents one of the earliest settlement areas in the community; tax returns for 1292-3 show 10 for Cefn-yr-Owen as opposed to 3+ for Dolgellau. The present house on the site appears to be late Medieval and was originally a 5-bay cruck-built, 3-unit hall house. This was provided with rubble walls and a vast central stack c.1600, at which time the central hall was given a lobby entry and upper access was provided in a projection to the rear of the stack.

Exterior

Low single-storey rubble building with later loading bay to upper floor of L section. This with old undulating slate roof of medium/steep pitch; the remainder, to the R is of corrugated iron. The stack has been taken down to roof level. Plain, later entrance to L with large stone lintel and stable
doors. To the R the original off-centre entrance with modern concrete lintel. Between the 2 entrances and breaking the eaves a later rubble dormer with iron catslide roof, now a loading bay;
the section of walling beneath this has been rebuilt. To the R of the primary entrance a rectangular unglazed window opening. To the R of this, and ascending slightly in relation to the rising ground level, 2 further windows, now blocked. Later entrance to rear with deeply recessed stable doors. Central rear projection with small, blocked window; further blocked window to former parlour section at R. 2 square window openings to L gable end, that to ground floor with boarded shutter, that above with tin sheeting. Modern rubble retaining wall to gable base; brick-coped gable.

Adjoining to the R and recessed slightly, a later (C17) rubble-built byre/cartshed with rubble gable parapet to R and undulating undressed slate roof; loading bay to gable end with boarded door and plain cart entrance to rear. A modern agricultural lean-to abuts the farmhouse to the L.

The house is currently used as a cow-byre and hay loft (November 1994)

Interior

Originally 5 bays of which 2 cruck pairs and one single cruck blade survive, the central pair of crucks having been removed when the stack was inserted; the collars are also missing. The central stack measures approximately 3.7m x 4.3m; large fireplace to central hall with huge chamfered ingle beam and internal niche. To the R a recess originally led to a stair access within the rear projection (now partly blocked). Slate- stone floor and later rubble dividing wall to ground floor of hall, now partly ceiled over though formerly open. Former service bay at far end (R) with evidence for partition to surviving cruck blade. This is now stepped up and has a tiled floor; rubble ledge at gable end. The L section was the former parlour; blocked fireplace with chamfered bressumer and stair access to L (now inaccessible). Finely stop-chamfered main and subsidiary ceiling beams to L section; plain (later) beams to R niche to gable wall with large window to R; further blocked window to rear wall. Later cobbled floor.

Reason for designation

Listed at grade II* as an important late Medieval and sub- Medieval domestic survival retaining much of its integrity.