Pwll-yr-Hwyaid

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on W side of road about 1km S of Coed Morgan Farm.

History

Small late C16 two unit house, given a rear wing possibly in the C17 and then refurbished probably in the early/mid C19, when the wing was heightened. Identified by Fox & Raglan as remains of a 3-bay cruck-trussed wooden hall 31' by c17'3'' (9.45 m by 5.26m) reconstructed on one-room plan, rhomboidal.

The survival of one timber framed gable wall may suggest that a further section of the house has been lost; presumably elsewhere, a timber-frame was replaced by stone at an early date.

Marked on 1843 Llanarth tithe map as Pwlywayadd, owned by the Llanarth estate, occupied by Thomas Watkins, with 28 acres (11 hectares).

Exterior

Built of local sandstone rubble with some external timber framing, later work in brick, all painted; tiled roof with red brick stacks. L-shaped plan with outshut in the inner angle. Single storey and attic with two storeys to the rear wing and single storey outshut. Steeply pitched roof with rebuilt red brick stack to right gable.

The oldest section faces south and has two small 6 + 6 pane casements under timber lintels on the ground floor one left, one right of centre, and large catslide dormer on eaves to right. E elevation has the original entrance beside the stack, plank door with a small tiled hood; small iron casement lighting stairs to left of stack. W elevation has a timber framed wall with fine exposed raised cruck truss. Vertical studs up to beams at tie-beam and collar levels. Stone infill with vertical painted-on timbers. Modern door in centre below and small leaded casement pair window in apex on collar beam.

The rear (N) elevation is almost completely covered by later extensions with a wing to the left and a lean-to at right angles to the right. Small dormer with casement window above the lean-to. The rear wing has clearly been heightened, being stone below and brick above. The gable end has a large external stack flanked by casements as before on the upper floor. Casement to each floor on the left return. The right return is covered by a single storey lean-to which has a casement in the road end.

Interior

The interior of the original build is very completely displayed. Small N end room with massive chamfered axial beam with ogee stops. Square-framed partition to main room, continued into loft. The ground floor main room shows a rebuilt fireplace with oak lintel with the door to the left – a wooden winding staircase noted in 1999 has gone from the right. Two deeply chamfered ceiling beams. Second cruck in partition wall with posts but no planks, the cranked headed doorway survives to the right hand end and evidence of another at the left. The two originally unheated rooms beyond are now combined into a kitchen. Upstairs the partition continues into an upper cruck truss with surviving doorway with a cranked head cut into the collar. One massive purlin. Two cruck trusses are 2.94m apart.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a small late C16 house of local type which retains significant original fabric and much of the early layout, with good interior detail.