Old Henllys

Cadw's description

Location

1.2km west of St David's church, Llanddewi, reached by a farm track via Nantlais and New Henllys

History

Henllys was a manor held by Henry Mansell in 1583. The demesne of Henllys was reorganised in the early C18, and this, its manor house, renamed Old Henllys. The house and its associated farm of over 200 acres (81 hectares) continued in Mansell ownership until sold to tenants in the 1960s. The house has a characteristic vernacular plan with lateral outshuts. The central unit of the house is a hall. A cross beam of its chamber floor is said to have a broach stop, indicating the C16. The stairs are in a front outshut, and there is evidence for a probable lateral main chimney at rear, with bed alcove to its side. The hall unit was probably built against an earlier or contemporary west block, subsequently demolised. The existing west extension is undateable, but very substantial: it has at some period extended the domestic accommodation, as there is an internal door to the older part on each floor. A big chimney (traditionally called the Flemish chimney, but not a large example by Pembrokeshire standards) projects centrally on the gable end. A smaller east extension is of the C18, with a C20 kitchen at its rear. Triple brick cellars with a barrel vault are located in the vicinity just west (uphill) of the house; these are probably a rainwater reservoir for the house later opened up for storage of goods.

Exterior

House in three units ranging east/west, the middle one a characteristic Gower hall farmhouse with large stairs outshut to the north side; later barn unit to west, small additional unit to east. The east unit has a small recent rear kitchen extension (to south). The middle unit and the small east unit are of two storeys. The stairs outshut attached centrally to the middle unit advances about 1m below a catslide roof. The rear kitchen extension has a flat roof higher than the eaves of the main range. Rough-cast rendered, with recently restored slate roof and small red-brick end-chimneys. At the front of the house (to north) the rough-cast render has been recently restored and extended to cover the front of the west unit also. Two small square upper windows of casement type; small 9-pane sash window to landing level in the outshut; small rectangular windows below, the left one a fixed light. Boarded door. The recent restoration of the rough-cast render has obscured the articulation of the three units, but the end of the middle unit at left still appears as a slight buttress to left of the main door. The rear elevation is of three windows, excluding the modern kitchen extension; two windows above are C19 four-pane casements. Middle window below is a 4-pane sash window. The barn unit to the west, on rising ground, is in rubble masonry still visible at rear and side. There are three large rear buttresses and a large chimney central in the west gable. Corrugated steel sheet roofing. Large central boarded doors at front, concealed behind steel sheeting.

Interior

Interior not inspected. The central hall unit is said to have a bed alcove in its south west corner; its main floor beam is said to have broach stops. Projecting stairs turret to north.

Reason for designation

A fine vernacular Gower farmhouse of C16 origin with outshut features and an unusual 'Flemish' chimney.