Ddol

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a large yard area with a modern bungalow to the north at the end of a short track running off the south-east side of the B4366, approximately 0.5km south-west of Bethel.

History

Shown on the 1838 Tithe Map, the cottage is likely to have been built as part of a smallholding in the early C19; the form of the section of building immediately to the right of the cottage suggests that this part may once have been used as a smithy. The former cowhouse to the left of the cottage latterly served as an office.

Exterior

Cottage and attached outbuildings. Long single-storey rectangular plan, aligned roughly east-west with 2-room cottage in centre of main range and equal-height outbuildings attached to each end, left formerly a cowhouse and right possibly once a smithy; to right again is a former cowhouse, lower and following a slight curve. Limewashed irregularly coursed rubblestone; grouted graded slate roof to cottage with larger slates to outbuildings. Cottage has 4-paned sash window with slate cill on either side of offset boarded door; integral end stacks with slate drips at junctions with outbuildings, left of which has roughly central boarded door with small 4-paned sash to right, right outbuilding with large C20 window on left, boarded double doors to right and 3 small C19 rooflights near ridge. Lower, former cowhouse to right has boarded doors on left and right, latter with a window immediately to right; further window to centre.

Interior

Cottage has large room on left with short low screen immediately to left of entrance and large chimney breast with cast-iron fire surround, mantleshelf and C20 grate; boarded ceiling has base of A-frame truss visible to centre. Croglofft over small right room which also has boarded ceiling; small infilled fireplace. Hearth in probable former smithy shares stack serving right room of cottage. Cowhouse on right has 3-bay roof with 2 A-frame trusses.

Reason for designation

Included as an unspoilt early C19 smallholder's cottage with attached in-line outbuildings, the extent of which suggests that the holding was a large and reasonably prosperous one as would be expected from its lowland setting.