'Old house' at Bodrwyn, and attached agricultural range

Cadw's description

Location

In an isolated rural location, set well back from the NW side of the B4422 and reached by a private driveway SE off a country lane leading W and S from Cerrigceinwen. The 'old' house is in alignment with, and across the yard from, Bodrwyn.

History

Late C17/early C18 minor gentry house and later cartshed, it appears to have been superceded by the newer house in the latter part of the C18; the older house may have become stables with servants' accommodation above. The house is now used as a store and animal shed. To the right (S) of the former house and cartshed cowhouses were added (mid C19); and to the rear of the house a lofted cartshed was built (late C19). Once part of the medieval free vill of Lledwigan, a survey of 1564 recorded the owner of the 'house occupied by Richard Owen and a parcel of land named Bodrwyn' as Tristram Bulkeley. Bodrwyn was bought by Richard Hughes (d.1771) of Tre'rdriw, High Sheriff of Anglesey and agent for the Penrhyn estate. Richard Hughes married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Roberts of Bodior, and Bodrwyn passed down to his grandson, Philip Hughes, d.1830, who is recorded as having sold the property.

Exterior

Agricultural range of irregular plan. Main part a 2-storey former farmhouse with projecting stair block to rear and lofted cartshed at left (S) end. A single-storey cowhouse abuts the S end, with attached cowhouses advanced to front and rear; and a lofted cartshed range is set at right angles to the right (N) rear of the former farmhouse. Built of local rubble masonry, with gritstone dressings to the house and attached cartsheds, the cowhouses have brick dressings. Slate roofs, some heavily grouted, cowhouses with red clay ridge tiles and tiled copings, lofted cartshed with tiled ridge and copings; the house has tall grit ashlar gable stacks. The former farmhouse and cartshed have none of the original doors or windows and many of the openings are blocked, or partially blocked, some with later windows. The cowhouses have boarded doors and some small-paned lights; the cowhouse abutting the S end of the house and cartshed a 2-unit plan with central door, the others with single doorways offset to the E end. The lofted cartshed to the rear of the old house has 2 cartshed bays at the W end and a centrally placed loft access above; the openings along the S wall are boarded, and brick-headed openings have been cut into the N wall.

Reason for designation

Included, notwithstanding condition, as an example of a late C17 minor gentry house and farmhouse; one of few examples on Anglesey to have been built with a projecting rear stair turret. The house was superceded by the adjacent house at Bodwryn and was then taken over for agricultural use and became the core of a developed series of agricultural ranges which together form an unusually complete farmstead group.