Old Farmhouse at Ty-brith

Cadw's description

Location

Ty-brith is located on the E side of Eglwyseg Glen, approximately 900m N of St Mary's Church. The old farmhouse is on a platform site, to the N and at right angles to the present farmhouse.

History

Two bay open hall house with one lower bay, probably of the early-mid C15, to which a later upper bay has been added, perhaps a stable or small cowhouse. In long use as an agriculatural building probably since the adjacent house was built in the late C17 or early C18.

Exterior

Rubble stonework, with a slate roof, corrugated iron on the rear and red clay ridge tiles. The upper E bay has a corrugated asbestos roof. Two doorways on the S side, one on the N, the added building has a boarded door and window opening.

Interior

The main open hall truss of the house is constructed with substantial raised crucks morticed for a deep cambered collar, with knee braces carrying ovolo mouldings on the lower arrises, extended on to the centre of the collar. Above, a remarkable king-post, with sunk ovolo mouldings on each face, is shouldered and shaped to take four mortices for braces to the upper part of the blades, and to the ridge; these two now missing. The blades are tenoned at the top into the king post, which is trenched to carry a square set ridge piece. Much evidence of smoke blackening. The total span is 4.75m, and the hall length 7.65m. The closed truss forming the partition to the lower bay has slightly curved and tapered blades set in the walls, with a cambered collar and king post, a shoulder is present on the hall side only, although it is not clear if it is applied. Two long curved braces from the blades descend to a raised sill, which also has a vertical stud to the collar. Small plates, pegged to the blades, are trenched on top for the wall plate on the stone walls. A subsidiary timber on top of the blades carries the lower tier of purlins, which are held in position by a substantial rectangular peg driven into the top face of the blade. The purlins do not seem to be in their original position although they are drilled for pegged rafters. The ridge over the lower bay is set diagonally. The slates have been torched.

Reason for designation

Included in Grade II as a rare survival of an early vernacular house of open-hall type, notable for the exceptionally high quality of the carpentry employed in an otherwise modest dwelling.