Cwm Mawr Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Sited high up above the mountain lane to west of Coed-y-Prior and reached from by-roads west off the A 4042. Set into the hillside.

History

c1590 regional farmhouse given a fine early C17 enlargement. Recently renovated. Said to have medieval monastic associations but surviving fabric is no earlier than sub-medieval.

Exterior

Whitewashed rubble farmhouse wth slate roofs and stone end chimney stacks; renewed leaded casement glazing. The earlier part is uphill with 3-windows to the present, east facing, front and an added gabled porch. The impressive later phase is a tall 2-storey and attic block with a massive stair projection and a pair of diagonally set chimney stacks to the downhill gable end; renewed 4-light windows to the principal rooms. Blocked doorway.

Interior

The best-preserved part of the house is the C17 addition which fits into what Fox and Raglan describe as the 'Reserved Chamfer Phase'. Fine stone fireplace to former hall with stop-chamfered jambs and split lintel; another fireplace retains the adjacent spice cupboard. Sunk-chamfered and Wern Hir stopped ceiling beams and, unusually, diagonally set cross beams to former cross passage; screens partition now removed. The staircase tower contains an imposing square stairwell with stone flights up to the Great Chamber and down to the cellar; the existence of a stone staircase would seem to place the enlargement earlier in the C17 rather than later when oak staircases were more usual in houses of this type. The stair tower has a deeply splayed recess to former window and another deeply splayed lancet at the base, now lighting a bathroom. A secondary staircase leads up from the Great Chamber to the attic. The finest surviving features of the interior are the surviving ornate doorheads with ogee and double roll-mouldings; one of these is to the Great Chamber but the other is unusually in the attic and apparently in-situ. The C17 roof is of 3-bays with pegged A-frame trusses with tenoned collars and two tiers of trenched purlins; one attic window has a reeded surround to splay. The early part has upper-cruck trusses but is otherwise largely altered.

Reason for designation

Listed as a fine example of a sub-medieval regional house.