Esgairgeiliog Hall

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the W side of the Stepaside to Pentre road, and reached by a short farm road by Esgairgeiliog Farm. Set back from the road with garden surrounding it, and a farm road on N side and farm buildings on E side.

History

Originally a medieval 4-bay cruck-framed hall. An inscription, now hidden, possibly reads 1640, and would therefore date the C17 reconstruction. This consisted of a central fireplace with baffle entry, the addition of a first floor, gabled outer bays, and an outshot at the back to accommodate a stair. Upper end of the original hall was reconstructed C18 to make a dairy and kitchen wing. A porch was added late C20.

Exterior

North-facing front range with gabled outer bays; outshot at the rear; gabled projection at SE; lean-to adjacent to the SW angle. Slate roof, hipped over E bay, and hipped to the rear behind W bay; 2 skylights in rear roof slope. Central brick stack, and a single roof dormer to the front with a multi-pane casement window. Front is timber framed in square panels, with diagonal braces in the E bay, but framing partly replaced with brick painted black to imitate timber. Stone platform. Brick nogging, painted white, with some breeze block infill, and possibly 2 original panels with wattle and daub. W bay has a combination of cusped quatrefoil panels and close studding, with a casement window. A jettied collar beam has a moulded soffit over 4 moulded brackets. E bay has a multi pane casement in upper and lower storey. C20 porch masks an inscription above the door. The door is 4-panel with overlight. To left of porch is a multi-pane casement. W wall is part timber framed with brick nogging, and part rebuilt as a battered brick wall, painted black to imitate timber. E wall rebuilt in random rubble with external stack, which is rebuilt in brick above the roof line. The remainder of the E wing is weatherboarded on a roughcast stone base. Outshot to rear in random rubble, painted white, and under a catslide roof. Lean-to at SW angle in random rubble, corrugated metal roof, and with slate-hung wall above.

Interior

Lobby entry plan, with central stack, two parlours at the W end, and a large room at the E end. Canopy over the fireplace is timber framed with plaster infill. This is constructed against one of 2 surviving cruck trusses. The other, freestanding truss is arch-braced with 2 cusped raking struts. Quarter-turn stair beside the fireplace, the lower 4 treads of which are original oak. A single ogee doorhead on the first floor. Cellar with a well now covered over.

Reason for designation

Listed for its very early domestic origins, and incorporation of the remains of a fine cruck-frame hall, with C17 work which is also of considerable interest.