Ty'n-y-Caeau including adjoining Agricultural Range

Cadw's description

Location

Located towards the southern boundary of the community, on an elevated site 1.8km NW of Ruthin; accessed via a track running W from the A 525. The farmhouse is set back slightly behind low rubble forecourt walls.

History

Storeyed, end-chimney farmhouse, probably of early C18 origins. This was extended by the addition of a lower crosswing to the NW in the late C18 or early C19, linking the house with its primary barn, placed diagonally to the rear. At the same time the latter was extended to the NW to form a long and impressive agricultural range comprising a barn, cart bays, hay loft and stables. In so doing, the farmhouse and agricultural range were unified in a large, roughly T-plan complex.

Exterior

Farmhouse and agricultural range, linked together to form a roughly T-shaped complex. Of roughly-dressed limestone construction (the main faces whitened) with slate roofs. The farmhouse is of T-plan and consists of a main 2-storey, primary range of 3 bays, with a lower cross-range adjoining to the R. The former has a rendered facade and a colour-washed L gable end; plain stone end chimneys. Central entrance via a plain modern porch of rendered brick, open to the front; modern panelled door. Tripartite flanking windows to both floors, those to the ground floor with cambered lintels with rough-dressed voussoirs, and those to the first floor under the eaves. All save that to the ground-floor L retain their original 3-light leaded glazing with pegged wooden mullions; the latter has plain glazing. Further, 2-light leaded window above the entrance. The rear of this block has 3 further, similar windows, of which 2 have cambered heads, one with plain glazing.

The lower cross-wing has a long section advanced to the front and a shorter rear section connecting the house with the agricultural range. The front section has an end and central chimneys. Its SE (forecourt) side has a 3-part casement with 6-pane sections to the ground floor, with modern uPVC windows to both floors to the L. The NW (farmyard) side has a central catslide outshut with uPVC replacement window and a boarded entrance to the front (NE), via an extruded porch block with corrugated iron roof. Two further 2-part casement windows to both floors to the R, beyond the outshut; casement sections boarded, 2-pane, 4-pane, plain-glazed and small pane. At the far R, in the corner between the house and the agricultural range at right-angles with it, is a blocked, camber-headed entrance, stepped-up. Single rooflight to rear.

The agricultural range is of 2 storeys and adjoins to the NW. The left-hand section is a barn and has opposing barn entrances to the centre, each with cambered head. Ventilation slits are visible on both long sides and are arranged in 4 tiers on the SE gable end. To the R of this ascends an external stone stair, giving access to an upper hayloft via a boarded first-floor door with pegged frame. The loft has 2 square openings with boarded shutters; the ground floor, below this, is occupied by 2 large segmentally-arched cart bays. Beyond this are 3 stable entrances of diminishing heights, the outer ones with segmental arches; boarded doors. 3 boarded openings under the eaves, as before, with a further one at the far R above a wide cart bay, with expressed timber lintel.

Interior

The farmhouse has exposed ceiling beams to the former hall section (R of the entrance), with simple run-out chamfered detail. The barn section is of 4 bays and retains its primary queen post trusses.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a late C18 or early C19 integrated farmhouse and agricultural range of unusual plan-form, retaining much original character including some original small-pane windows and well-preserved agricultural section.