Ty-mawr Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

About 2.5km north of Forest Coal Pit. On the east side of the valley, reached by a lane which leaves the minor road to Grwyne Fawr reservoir near Tabernacle Baptist chapel.

History

To a house of the early C16 (aligned roughly east-west with a large south porch), a parallel range was added to the south (probably mid C17), connecting with the porch. The C16 block was subsequently largely demolished, but the porch remains to rear (as dairy of present house), as do parts of the east walls. The C17 block had the roof raised (early C18?); the present kitchen was added probably late C18.
It has also been suggested that the two houses may have stood separately for a time, joined only by a pentice, and that the full joining only came when it was decided to pull down the C16 house.

Exterior

Two storeys plus attic; stone, rendered, stone tile roof, square stone chimneys; house retains many oak window frames but reglazed, generally with casements. Entrance doorway to left covered by boarded porch with monopitch roof, simple boarded door; single broad window to each floor, 1996 5-light oak ovolo mullioned windows; stone chimney to right gable. Right gable end has 4-light attic window; 5-light first floor window; 3-light square stair window to right, C20 casement. Left gable end has ground, first and attic floor windows, all new. Two new roof lights in the north slope of the main roof. Rear block has stone slate roof hipped to south (where this block joins south block), stone chimney. East elevation has broad 5-light window set at eaves, to its right, a square casement with 4 + 4 panes; to ground floor left a small square window. North gable end has ground floor window with label in blocked doorway, new casement window above. West of rear block has later kitchen which continues roof slope of rear block (ground falls to west); square stone chimney to its north; camber-headed doorway and window. There is a further lean-to to north wall of kitchen.

To the north east of present house are the remains of walls of the C16 house, and some foundations are visible.

Interior

Entrance doorway leads to hall, stone flagstones, with heavy stop-chamfered beams, between beams mainly ceiled with boards, but roll-moulded joists visible in recess to right of fireplace which has spice cupboard (further cupboard to left of fireplace). It is evident that all the joists are roll moulded and all the beams have lambs' tongue stops. To left of fireplace, stair doorway with timber frame (pointed head) and boarded door with strap hinges; recess in masonry to accommodate door. Stone stairs; doorframe with shaped head at top of stair, door; adjacent doorway to attic has pointed head. First floor subdivided with tongue-and-groove partitioning; heavy stop-chamfered beams (tie-beams to roof), joists (where visible) are roll-moulded; partitioning cuts across stone fireplace with chamfered jambs, and front window. Doorway with pointed head to rear wing. Wooden stairs to attic; roof of four bays, principal rafters with trenched purlins, partly altered when the pitch was lessened to take the stone tiles, having presumably been thatched previously. To rear of hall is kitchen with to right, two rooms. Room adjacent to hall has (in north wall) a former doorway to porch of the C16 house, 4-centred arch of chamfered stones; room to rear (former porch) has stop-chamfered beams with bar-and-scroll stops and inner doorway with 4-centred arch.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as a well-preserved C17 house with the added interest of incorporated remains of earlier building, and as part of a good group of farmbuildings. Group value with adjacent barn.