Bee boles and stile in garden wall at Gilfach-uchaf farm

Cadw's description

Location

Gilfach-uchaf farm lies on high ground SW of Llangynwyd village, and is reached by a farm road off the minor road from Llangynwyd to Aberafon. The bee boles are set in a wall at the end of a small private garden on the E side of the house.

History

Gilfach uchaf is a farmhouse of early C19 date, incorporating slight evidence of an earlier building on a platform site. The bee boles are probably of the early C19 but possibly earlier in date.

Exterior

The dry-stone N wall extending E from the house curves round to enclose the E end of the garden. The three bee boles are built into the wall, and consist of open fronted recesses in line abreast, each approximately 45cm wide x 38cm high and 30cm deep, the base for the skips is approximately 50cm from the original garden level. The style is in the same wall, about 2m further S of the last bole, and provides for access for a path to Gilfach-ganol farm, close by. It consists of a stone slab, c. 0.54m high above the step each side of the wall, the slab set in a rebate in the dry-stone jambs of the wall.

Reason for designation

Included as one of the few examples of the simple domestic structure once widely found, to survive in Glamorgan.