Cwmdows Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Aligned N/S at right angles to the road, set on a platform in the hillside and now surrounded by C19 and later housing development.

History

Late C16/early C17. Fox and Raglan note that the internal door to the loft room was not original. Repaired 1998. Sensitive refurbishment involved creating a window from the former hayloft door.

Exterior

Former farmhouse. Of white painted stone rubble with stone tile roof and off-centre ridge stack. 2 storeys, the upper one very low. 2 unit plan: former house to left against hillside and byre right, now incorporated into a single dwelling. Openings irregular: 2 ground floor 9-pane casement windows with sills under a hood to left; doorway with hood centre right; above doorway a small rectangular window of 4 very small lights with diamond mullions; small recessed staircase light under a hood left of door. End bay to right, the former byre, has separate broader doorway with casement window above and to right a small 3-pane window with diamond mullions under a hood. Gable end to road has a projecting course just above eaves level: attached outbuilding backs onto road.

Interior

Wide cross passage backs onto fireplace. Chamfered 4-centred wooden arch E to main room. This has heavy chamfered and stopped cross beams, open fireplace with chamfered timber lintel with triangular recess and bread oven. Spiral stairs with oak treads beside fireplace have original door. Two further 4-centred arched doorways to the inner rooms. Stone flag floors. Roof recorded by Fox and Raglan as A-frame trusses on an upper cruck. Former byre now incorporated into dwelling has loft over cross passage and first floor doorway access; this former sleeping loft for cow-herd is at a higher level than the main hayloft, whose beams but not floor remain.

Reason for designation

Listed II* as a fine early post-medieval farmhouse retaining most of its historic fabric and especially for the interest of its interior features and plan.