Buarth Farm

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at right-angles to track running off north side of minor road running south-westwards from Bwlch-y-llyn towards the Carmel to Y Fron road; low rubblestone wall in front of cottage and similar walls to surrounding small fields.

History

Shown on the 1840 Tithe Map, the cottage is likely to have been built in the early C19 as a smallholder's cottage (an adjoining building shown on the map is now gone) but its occupants probably supplemented their income from subsistence farming by working in the nearby Braich Slate Quarry, which opened in 1830. It is possible that the right-hand room may formerly have been an attached cowhouse (the stack serving it is more slender than the others) and was not originally part of the domestic accommodation.

Exterior

Single-storey 3-room plan, aligned roughy north-east to south-west. Painted roughly coursed rubblestone; slate roof. Left part has C20 windows in original openings to either side of slightly offset and recessed doorway with C20 door, integral end stack to left and ridge stack to right at junction with right part (possibly formerly cowhouse - see History). This has C20 window to left and integral end stack to right. Lean-to on right gable end.

Interior

Interior not accessible at time of Survey.

Reason for designation

Included as a well-preserved early C19 cottage, built in the local vernacular tradition of the area and illustrating the importance of the dual agricultural and industrial economy 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.