Apple House at Glanhafren Hall

Cadw's description

Location

At the NE (rear) of Glanhafren Hall, and at the SE corner of a group of farm buildings. Glanhafren Hall stands on the N side of the A486, and on the right bank of the River Severn. The S wall of the Apple House extends beyond the building to a barn

History

Although the building is not shown on the 1840 Mochdre Tithe Map the upper brick structure may have been added to a single storey building at the time of the remodelling of the Hall in c.1810 to provide a dovecote above a loose box.

Exterior

Two storeys and square in plan, of random rubble to the lower storey, brick upper, with pyramidal slate roof, and wooden lantern. Lantern is square with cusped openings under a tie roof, which is leaded and has projecting eaves supported by bracketed corbels, and a pinnacle. Projecting eaves with cornice, supported on bracketed wooden corbels, with a boarded soffit. Upper storey with segmental openings on S, E, and N sides, all boarded up. On the W side a stairway of hammer dressed stone leads to a doorway under a segmental head. Lower storey has a doorway in the south side, with a segmental head built into the brickwork of the upper storey. Planked door. Random rubble S wall extends to W with brick upper courses and coping, and incorporates a second doorway, which also has a segmental head in brick. Planked door gives access to the stairway to the upper storey. Cobbled surface on the S side of the building.

Interior

Lower storey has a cobbled floor. Upper storey was not accessible at the time of inspection (January 1996), but may have been built with wooden nest boxes.

Reason for designation

Listed as an ornate and distinctive dovecote of the later C19, and for group value with Glanhafren Hall.