Old House at Cilfaenor

Cadw's description

Location

Upland farm 1.1km W of Cwmdu church at the end of a private road. The Old House is at N end of farm yard, with farm buildings and another house further S.

History

Late C17 house at a farm where 2 houses were simultaneously inhabited (the earlier house remains inhabited but is modernised). Each house faces its own farm buildings. The existence of 2 houses was possibly a result of gavelkind, the division of farm land equally amongst sons, of which there are several other examples in Cwmdu (e.g. Llwynau mawr) and Tretower (e.g. Llandegeman and Cross Keys). After its abandonment as a dwelling the old house has been used as a store. A doorway was inserted into the gable end providing direct access to the first floor from a high bank on W side of the house.

Exterior

Two-and-a-half storey house of rubble sandstone with corrugated iron roof and stone stack to L. Two-window front with pentice and openings offset to R. In the upper storey the window to R retains one diamond mullion, but sockets show former diamond mullions to both upper-storey windows (originally 6-light to L and 4-light to R). In the lower storey are boarded up windows to L and R under timber lintels, and a central boarded door, also under a lintel, all ground-floor openings under hood moulds. In the R gable end is a shuttered attic opening. In the L gable end the ground is at first-floor level and has inserted door to R. Continuous lean-to at rear has stone tiles beneath corrugated iron sheets. (Later implement store attached to R.)

Interior

Tradition sub-medieval plan form of hall and 2 small inner rooms. Hall has front and rear doors opposite each other, and chamfered cross-beams with stepped run-out stops (some beams replaced with machine-sawn timber). A post-and-panel partition had 2 doorways but the details are now lost. Stone stairs to R of fireplace. L of stack on first floor is stone stair to attic, but cut through to upper level doorway in gable end. Attic floorboards removed. Roof has chamfered tie beams and raking queen posts.

Reason for designation

A good example of a Breconshire style sub-medieval house, retaining most of its early detail including a pentice.