Johnston's Cottage and Farm Buildings of Home Farm

Cadw's description

Location

Home farm stands in Chirk Castle park, approximately 170m NW of the castle, from which it is largely hidden by the configuration of the ground.

History

Home Farm comprises Johnston's Cottage, a large C19 house of earlier origins, and contiguous ranges of farm buildings, partly timber framed on a stone lower storey, probably of the later C18 or early C19. The cartshed was added to the NE corner in 1905.

Exterior

The house stands at the NW corner of the farmyard group, which is in the form of an open square, forming a U-plan partly open to the N. The S range continues E beyond the enclosing E range, and a 3-bay cartshed extends from the N end of the E range to the E, thus forming a second open square facing E. The E range spans a covered cartway at the centre of the E side.

Johnston's Cottage is of stone with a slate roof, 2-storeys and attics, 3-bays, with a lean-to at the E gable end. Central boarded door and 5-light cross-pattern overlight. Three-light transomed timber windows to each main floor, with segmental heads to the openings. Three dormer windows to the attics. Gable stacks. A secondary entrance is lateral to the W gable end.

The farm ranges are all similar, comprising rubble stone walls for the ground floor, with various openings, but the E range, W face is of stone flanking the open side to the N. The upper stage is of timber framing, square panels infilled with painted brick. A large cartway opens from the yard into the S range, which is a barn to the E, and cow-house to the W. The E range contains further cow-housing S of the cartway, and stabling to the N. The S range extends E of the E range, and includes some accommodation, with one brick stack and a lean-to porch, the N front being of rubble stone with ashlar dressings, and radiused voussoired 3-centred arch. The central cartway of the E range has straight angle braces to the continuous wall plates. Above the cartway, a open timberwork lantern with a gilded windvane on the pyramidal roof. The cartshed of 1905 is of stone, with 3 bays open to the S. The yard is partly cobbled.

Reason for designation

Included as a major economic element of Chirk Castle estate, a coherently planned group designed in a conciously picturesque idiom.