Hafod Gethin (Plas Gwyn)

Cadw's description

Location

Located immediately to the south of Plas Gwyn.

History

Likely to have been built in the early to mid-C17, Hafod Gethin is the original farmhouse at Plas Gwyn, relegated to ancillary status after the present house was built in the late C18. The stables/hayloft was probably added at this time or shortly afterwards, but the cowhouse appears to belong to the first phase. The original 2-room plan of the farmhouse is likely to have been created by a timber partition below the cross beam immediately to the left of the entrance; the present stone cross wall to the right of the entrance is a later insertion, presumably erected when the timber partition was removed. The existing staircase may also have been put in at this time.

Exterior

Farmhouse with attached cowhouse and stables/hayloft. 2-room, 2-storey house part, aligned roughly east-west with cowhouse attached under same roof line to right (west) gable end and stables/hayloft under slightly lower ridge to left; virtually full-length lean-to at rear, to west of which is a further lean-to forming a pigsty. Roughly coursed rubblestone, limewashed to house part, lean-to and stables/hayloft, exposed to cowhouse, the gable end of which is more regularly coursed with some galleting; graded slate roof to main building, corrugated iron sheeting to large lean-to, slate to small lean-to. House part has plank door offset to right, flanked by 9-paned sash windows, right in deep recess; substantial ridge stacks with slate drips at junctions with stables/hayloft and cowhouse; right-angled lean-to at junction with cowhouse has small eaves window above and links the building to Plas Gwyn. To right of this is the cowhouse, with 6-paned metal window to left and recessed boarded door to right. Stables has 2 windows to left; gable end has boarded door to right and stone steps to left with retaining wall leading to boarded hatch in hayloft. 2 small C19 rooflights in back roofslope of house part; C20 windows and doors in large lean-to and 2 low doorways for pigsty in small lean-to, to west of which in back wall of cowhouse are a boarded door and window.

Interior

House part has stone cross-wall immediately to right of entrance; cross-beam to left with evidence of stud partition on underside marks position of an earlier partition; further beams above cross-wall and to right wall; heavy exposed joists running through from large left room to smaller room on right, latter having small fireplace with timber lintel and cast-iron grate. Massive stack to left room with chamfered timber lintel and bread oven; slate floor and straight-flight staircase along back wall with rustic pole handrail. Wide boards to first floor which has 2 pegged A-frame trusses; double purlins are later replacements. Cowhouse has 2 pegged A-frame trusses with lime torching to double purlins and limewashed walls.

Reason for designation

Included as an unusually well-preserved modest C17 farmhouse of long-house derivative type, a rare survival in this area, retaining clear evidence of its original plan-form and several primary features following its decline in status in the late C18. Situated in very close proximity to the house which succeeded it - Plas Gwyn.