Cil-voynog Farmhouse and attached barn

Cadw's description

Location

On Bica Common about 1500m north of the village of Llanvair Discoed but approached from Shirenewton.

History

A probably mid-late C18 farmhouse with central entrance and only two heated rooms. There seems no reason to suspect an earlier origin. It appears likely to be very little changed from its early state, still with unheated rooms; the added porch being the only obvious alteration. The in-line barn is contemporary with the house and has been changed only by a new roof covering.

Exterior

This is a two room central entrance farmhouse with an in-line barn to the right. Built of painted rubble stone with a Welsh slate roof and half a dozen courses of stone slates; the barn has a corrugated metal roof. The roof may indicate that the higher courses were removed because of the weight of the stone leaving only those above the walls, or that the roof was otherwise thatched as the weathering on the chimney might suggest (the owner says that it was all stone and that the barn was pantiled). The main elevation has a central gabled porch added perhaps in the early C20. On either side are windows, with taller ones on the ground floor, with replacement frames with top opening lights; above are 2-light timber casements. Gable stack on the left only, indicating that only the two left hand rooms were heated.
To the right of the house is the barn which has cart doors and flanking slit vents to the front.
The rear elevation of the house was not seen, it probably has an outshut.

Interior

The interior of the house was not seen at the time of resurvey but is said to be plain with a timber staircase. The barn is three bays with plain triangular trusses, one tier of purlins and a ridgepiece.

Reason for designation

Included as an exceptionally well preserved C18 smallholding with farmhouse, barn and twenty acres (8.1 hectares).