Cae-Ffynnon

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at the end of a short track off the minor road running north-eastwards towards Bwlch-y-llyn from the Carmel to Y Fron road; vast slate waste heap towers behind.

History

Not shown on the 1840 Tithe Map, the cottage is likely to have been built shortly afterwards, probably as part of the rapidly expanding slate industry of the area, although the attached cowhouse shows that the building also had an agricultural function.

Exterior

Single-storey 2-room cottage, aligned roughly north-east to south-west, with contemporary cowhouse attached under same roof line to north-east gable end. Painted roughly coursed rubblestone; turnerised slate roof. House part to right has 4-paned sashes with slate cills to left and right of offset recessed doorway with C20 door; C20 glazed door in line with large ridge stack at junction with cowhouse; less substantial integral end stack to right. Former cowhouse has window to right with recessed doorway immediately to its left.

Interior

Interior not accessible at time of Survey.

Reason for designation

Included as a well-preserved mid-C19 quarryman's cottage and attached cowhouse, built in the local vernacular tradition and illustrative of the importance of the dual agricultural and industrial economy of the area at this period. The building is a typical feature in the landscape of small fields and scattered cottages, characteristic of the upland settlement pattern associated with the development of quarrying in this region.