Ystrad-uchaf

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the side of a hill with Y Diffws above at the end of a track off the north-east side of the A 4085.

History

C17 farmhouse of external stack and cross-passage plan, extended in C18, then eaves to C18 extension raised in c1800.

Exterior

Farmhouse. Uncoursed rubblestone with boulder plinth to earlier part, painted to front; slate roofs, graded to rear. Original single-storey rectangular-plan house aligned south-west to north-east with cross-passage to left and external lateral stack to rear; plank door to far left and 3 tall window openings (now with plastic windows but formerly with Victorian sashes) spread across the front elevation; 2 C20 rooflights to left and centre; tall integral end stack to right; massive external stack to rear in gabled projection has tall corbelled shaft with slate drips; small catslide outshut to right of this stack blocks position of original cross-passage. To the left of the cross-passage is the C18 extension with the original eaves line visible under 2 small windows with slate cills to right and right of centre; there are similar windows directly below flanking entrance with plank door and projecting stone lintel; large integral end stack to left with slate drips. Windows now all plastic but formerly 4-pane casements, still in small earlier openings. Catslide outshut to rear and C20 flying buttress to gable end near wheel-pit for former butter/gorse mill.

Interior

Earlier part has massive fireplace (partly rebuilt) with large timber lintel to back wall; A-frame trusses in 4 narrow bays with double purlins visible on first floor. Later part has 2 exposed cross-beams and joists to ground-floor room (formerly divided into several rooms).

Reason for designation

Included as a substantial farmhouse of early origins, which despite some unsympathetic late C20 alterations retains good evidence of its original plan-form and later development.