Dan-y-Bwlch Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

On the east side of Vale of Ewyas situated on the minor road between Cwmyoy and Bwlch Trewyn.

History

A late C16 farmhouse which having been abandoned has not been modernised as a dwelling except for the improvement of a third upper room over the cowhouse and conversion to garage use.. Although the house has not been lived in for thirty years the downhill end cow house is still used for its original purpose.

Exterior

Narrow coursed grey pennant sandstone rubble partially whitened. Roof was stone tiles but is now corrugated steel sheeting. The diamond mullion windows reported in the 1956 list description may now have gone; Fox and Raglan describe four, two have gone, those in the inner rooms were not seen. Two storeys, four windows on the main elevation but the ground floor is obscured by modern garages and only the top of the doorway into the cowhouse can be seen (the house's previous appearance can be seen in Fox and Raglan Plate IIc). Doorway to cross passage. The windows that can be seen have plain square openings except the ground floor right which has a cambered head, no frames survive to visible windows. Plain roof with rubble stack with weathered top. There is a dipping place at the back door but the rear elevation is otherwise completely obscured by a later lean-to, and the left hand gable cannot be seen. The right hand gable end is plain but has a later stable with door and window over attached at the rear.

Interior

This house retains its late medieval two room, cross passage and cowhouse plan. The house faces south west and has a cross passage running behind the hall stack. The house is entered through an end entry to the left inside the cross passage door, the cowhouse may have been entered through a now removed screen to the right and is slightly downhill although the upper floor, eaves and ridge lines are continuous. Only the hall may have been heated originally, while the room above the cowhouse has a fireplace which may be original but is very plain. Stud and panel partition between the hall and the unheated service rooms, this retains its doors at either end. Stone winding fireplace stair retains its three plank door in a chamfered frame. Run out stops on all beams, some of which have hollow chamfers. Large chamfered timber firelintel. The upper floor has a timber framed partition over the stud and panel one; this has the original doorway and plaster infill and above is a three light diamond mullion window with one mullion surviving. Principal rafter roof with slightly arched tenoned collars, two tiers of purlins and ridge piece, many of the secondary rafters are also original. The room over the cowhouse may have been intended for storage and has a plain fireplace probably introduced in the C19. The alternative Fox and Raglan view is that this was the 'best bedroom'. Certainly the floor appears original, so this may be the case, as at Coed Farm (qv).

Reason for designation

Listed for the substantial surviving evidence of this late C16 farmhouse.