Llan Farm

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the centre of the village at the main cross-roads with its gable at right-angles to the road; facing a small forecourt with part-enclosing whitened rubble walls.

History

Late medieval 4-bay cruck-framed hall house, probably of the late C15. This originally consisted of an open 2-bay hall (with central hearth) and a service bay and unheated parlour flanking to L and R respectively. The house was encased in rubble and the hall and parlour provided with lateral chimneys, probably in the early C17; it was subsequently extended to the NW to form an L-plan, resulting in the parlour's chimney becoming incorporated as a central stack.

Exterior

Single-storey lateral chimney house with one-and-a-half storey addition at right-angles to the NW, forming an L-plan. Cruck construction encased in whitened rubble (though the road-facing gable apex remains exposed); thatched roof to the primary section with renewed slated roof to the addition; 2 large plain chimneys, the lateral one to the original part with thatched gable. The entrance front faces NW and has a near-central rubble porch with catslide thatched roof; C20 boarded door. To the L of this is a 4-pane sash (a replacement of a C19 original); to the R is a paired sash window of similar type. The additional wing advances one bay to the R and has further plain sashes to the ground and first floors of its gable; projecting sills throughout. To the rear of the main section are further windows, as before.

Interior

The original 4-bay interior survives, with the 2-bay open hall and single-bay chambers at either end. The opposing entry of the former cross-passage is no longer evident. The hall has a chamfered pair of cruck blades, their ends embedded within the (later) rubble walling; plain pegged collar truss. Large lateral fireplace with flat stopped-chamfered bressummer (ogee stops). At the lower (entrance) end is a full cruck partition truss with primary post and panel partition surviving largely intact. This has grooved decoration and a central Tudor-arched entrance; the upper truss has wattles exposed, though the original dawb infill panels have been removed. The upper (parlour) end has a similar truss with plain chamfered post-and-panel screen. This has a modern winding stair cut through to the R and an early C19 (or earlier) entrance with broad, plain architrave to the centre.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II* for its special interest as a scarce surviving example of a late medieval cruck-framed thatched hall house.