Byre (former Primary House) at Bronwian

Cadw's description

Location

Located immediately to the SE of the house at Bronwian and built into a slight rise to the S.

History

Sub-Medieval 3-bay hall house; mid C17 possibly with earlier core. Extended one bay to N possibly c.1701. Now a byre, the house was supplanted by the adjacent farmhouse, dated 1701.

Exterior

Rubble construction with rubble plinth to downhill (N) gable end and rubble gable parapets; corrugated iron roof. Main (E) front with entrance flanked by small windows (that to R now an entrance); further entrance to later bay addition to R; stable doors. Blocked entrance to the rear (to R) with small unglazed window to the R and further, blocked window to the L. Contemporary outshut to later bay (to L) with gable parapet and entrance to N end. Loading bay to S gable end with boarded door.

Interior

Large fireplace to S gable end (probably former parlour) with stopped-chamfered bressummer and recess to the R, perhaps formerly for a stair. Beamed ceiling to L bay with ogee stops to chamfered joists. Tie beams with chamfered principal rafters, that between bays one and two with groove implying a boarded partition up to the roof. Bays two and three appear always to have been open to the roof and presumably formed the hall. The absence of a hall fireplace may be explained by the addition of the bay to the N.

Reason for designation

A C17 vernacular farmhouse, perhaps with earlier origins and included for its special interest contextually with the replacement house of 1701.