Former house at Hafod Ifan

Cadw's description

Location

Isolated on an elevated hill-side site approximately 1.2km to the SW of Ysbyty Ifan. Accessed via a metalled lane running W from the road from Ysbyty Ifan to the Eidda Valley; partly set into the slope of the hill.

History

The farm's name suggests a site of medieval occupancy, associated with the commandery of the Order of St. John in the nearby village of Ysbyty Ifan. The surviving building is a post-Dissolution domestic range, probably of the second-half C16. It appears to have been of some quality and had a lateral chimney to the hall, possibly with associated mural winding stair (the evidence for this is inconclusive). The original plan form probably featured a cross-passage and the house was storeyed from the first. A cyclopean arched door-head, subsequently reused as a fireplace lintel relates to one of the primary entrances; its relatively small size argues for its being a subsidiary entrance, and therefore implies a cross-passage arrangement. The house was extended to the W and re-roofed in the early C18; the graffiti initials OW, ER and WR appear on one truss, together with the date 1719. An C18 lower addition at the E end (and forming an L-plan with the primary range), is possibly the `bakehouse' mentioned in the 1767 Pant Glas estate survey. The house was replaced in the later C19 and has since been converted for agricultural use.

Exterior

Long gabled rubble range with squared quoins to the down-hill (E) gable and continuous old slate roof. Projecting lateral chimney breast to L (stack removed) with blocked entrance to R and window above, now reduced to a ventilation slit. Large late C19 slate-lintelled opening to R with plain window openings to ground and first floors beyond, that to the ground floor blocked. To the R of this is a further entrance with slate lintel and boarded stable doors within a wooden frame; small, flanking primary window openings, that to the L almost at ground level. Further entrance to stable door to R, with expressed lintel as before. Large modern (?) sloping buttress to the rear, with a small projecting lateral chimney to the L, a later (C18) addition. Slit-vents to the E gable, formerly large ground and first-floor primary windows; boarded upper loading bay to W gable end.

Adjoining to the N at the E end, and forming an L with the main range, a later and slightly lower one-and-a-half storey block; construction as before with large squat stack to the N gable end, with pronounced weathercoursing. The (original) lateral chimney of the primary block is now contained within this addition; large C20 opening to the farmyard side. Entrance to the E side with recessed, boarded door, and single ground and first floor windows to the R, the former with slatted shutter and the latter plain-glazed.

Interior

8-bay roof with simple and roughly-scantled, pegged collar trusses with laid-on purlins and original ridge. The floor level of the four western bays is slightly raised and a later three-quarter rubble-walled partition divides bay 7; scratch-graffiti and date 1719 appears on the truss dividing bays 3 and 4. There is evidence of a blocked window on the S wall, with a blocked entrance and a further blocked window to the R. Here, at ground level, is a small lateral fireplace, the lintel of which is a re-used cyclopean door-head. On the N wall, the primary lateral chimney to the former hall is visible, though walled-up; large flat oak bressummer; dressed stone reveals. To the R of this a walled-up entrance, possibly to a former mural stair associated with the chimney breast. The stopped-chamfered ceiling beam dividing bays 4 and 5 survives; the remainder have been sawn off at the wall, though the stops are mostly visible. Some lime-hair plaster and colour-washes survive on the walls.

Large double fireplace to adjoining range with deep stone lintels; modern ceiling.

Reason for designation

Included for the special historic interest of its origins as a sub-medieval house, and its dated early C18 roof structure.