Stable range in yard at Madryn Farm

Location

Situated directly on north-west side of A 55 dual-carriageway with farmhouse to north-east and large modern farmbuildings to north-west and south-west; situated parallel with and to north-west of barn, granary and smithy range.

History

Built in the 1880s as the model farm for Gorddinog, a large house nearby in severe Tudor Gothic style, built for the Platt family, industrialists from Oldham (Lancs.), who created a small country estate here, of which the farm manager's house and highly mechanised farmbuildings at Madryn formed an integral part.

Exterior

Model farmbuildings with long cowhouse/stable range on east divided by Tudor Gothic style gatehouse (the gatehouse range), a large yard for cows on south with mock crenellated wall to south side and 2 substantial parallel ranges north of the yard (the south containing a cart shelter, barn with granary above and smithy, the north housing the main stabling), linked by a connecting range on west. Mixture of uncoursed and roughly coursed rubblestone to main buildings with regularly coursed and dressed rubblestone blocks to gatehouse; slate roofs, of gable ended or lean-to form except for north end of connecting range on west which is half-hipped. The whole complex was formerly protected by a screen wall to the north (as still exists on the south side of the large yard) but, apart from a short section of crenellated wall in the north-east corner, this has now been demolished.

Stable range with hayloft and grooms' accommodation above. North side has regular arrangement of 4 boarded doors flanked by tall ventilator windows on ground floor; 5 metal eaves windows, 4 to left and one on right of gabled hoist entry with boarded door; continuous catslide lean-to on south side has wide full-height openings to left and right and boarded doors; brick stack in roofslope; east gable end has boarded doors on both floors, upper accessed by iron staircase with slate treads and risers supported on circular column; small ventilated opening to apex with another in corresponding position to west gable end. Pigsties formerly abutted this wall but these have now been removed.

Interior

Retains partitions, hay racks and slate floor; A-frame roof trusses to loft.

Reason for designation

Included, despite a degree of C20 alteration and limited demolition, as an integral part of a largely complete late C19 model farm of a comparatively small country estate, important for showing the extent to which such farms were by this date becoming highly mechanised, almost industrial units.