Dolgar

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at the west end of Llanwyddelan parish on a small lane off the B4389, elevated above the River Rhiw.

History

C17 lobby entry house. Marked as House, Buildings etc. on the 1843 Llanwyddelan Tithe map, in the ownership of Rodger Hudson Sturkey Devereux.

Exterior

3 unit, lobby entry-type house with 1 storey and attic. Timber framing on masonry plinth under an asbestos tile roof, with timber clad W gable end. Red brick central stack. The well preserved square-panelled box framing is 3 panels high. The panels contain a mixture of plaster, brick nogging and original wattle and daub. There is a diagonal brace in the panel above the front (S) door and one to match on the N side of the house. The panels in the E bay are slightly narrower than elsewhere. The east gable end reveals a queen post truss. The modern front door is in an earlier opening and backs onto the stack. A modern rear door has been inserted into the E gable end, under a substantial mid rail and next to a window. 3 small windows to ground floor (N and S) probably renewed in earlier openings. Added gable dormers in attic, one on the N side to the W bay and another on the S side to the central bay. The E bay of the attic is lit by a window in the gable end.

Interior

The timber framing is well preserved inside. There is a box framed partition (without panel infill) between the central and W bays, which has 2 original openings with cusped lintels. This suggests that there were formerly 2 inner rooms. The central bay (hall) has a substantial spine beam with chamfers and cut stops, and chamfered subsidiary beams. There is a fireplace on each side of the chimney. In the hall, the fireplace lintel is not original, but the stairs are in their original position to the N of the stack. The kitchen (formerly parlour) fireplace retains its original lintel and has a bread oven on its N side. Upstairs, the original trusses are well preserved. The roof has 1 purlin and a steep pitch. Carpenters marks are found throughout, including scratch and circle assembly marks in the attic of the E bay.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good example of a small sub-medieval, lobby entry-type house retaining its original plan-form, with well preserved box framing and internal features.