Agricultural Complex at Plas Chambres

Cadw's description

Location

Located to the R of the service court, E of the main house, ranged around a farmyard.

History

Agricultural and service complex originally consisting of a main barn with byre addition to the N and stable range adjoining to the S, thereby forming a roughly Z-plan development. Each of the 3 sections has late C16 (or possibly early C17) origins and each is a box-framed, half-timbered building with later (probably later C17) rubble encasing. Later (C18 or early C19) rubble additions to the barn and stable section now partly enclose a small farm yard to the E.

Exterior

Agricultural and service complex ranged around a small farmyard. The yard is at a lower level than the service court, whose NE wall acts as a revetment as well as a visual and physical barrier between the house court and farm yard. The complex consists of a main primary barn projecting at right-angles to the service court, with a stable range adjoining at right-angles with it. The latter forms part of the boundary of the service court to the SW (upper) side and faces the farmyard on the NE (lower) side. The barn has a contemporary or near-contemporary byre addition adjoining at right-angles to the NW, with a later single-bay addition to the SE (the 2 forming a T-plan with the main range). The stable block has a similar addition to the SE end projecting north-eastwards and enclosing the yard to the SE side.

Rubble construction with timber-framed core to the 3 early sections; medium-steep roofs, slated throughout, except the barn and the stable block addition which have modern (green) corrugated sheeting. Slab-coped gable parapets with quadrant kneelers. The barn has a large through-passage to bay 5, with some early brick infilling to the heads above the lintels; boarded loading bay to the house-side gable. Vent slits and a corrugated iron lean-to to the W. The byre section has 2 entrances with (C19) brick cambered heads and vent slits in 3 tiers to the gable end. The stable block (outer court elevation) has a boarded door with frame to the L and a loading bay to the centre, breaking the eaves within a gabled dormer. To the R is a further boarded and framed door with flanking windows. These are fragmentary late C17 wooden cross-windows, though that to the L has lost its mullion and transom; 2 square, framed loft windows above, contained within gabled dormers. Stable doors to the lower, farmyard side. The SE stable extension has 2 tiers of vent slits facing the lane and a framed loading bay to its upper gable.

Adjoining the court-yard-facing gable end of the barn is a rubble wall, some 2m high, which defines the outer court on the farmyard side. This runs towards the house and terminates a few feet short of the right-hand forecourt wall of the house.

Interior

The main barn is of 7 bays, each truss having wall-posts braced to tie-beams, with collar and struts in Queen Post arrangement above; primary purlins. The stable block is of 6 bays and also has visible timber-framed structure, with partition trusses (now open) and evidence of a former loft; a fight of stone steps descends to the lower ground level from the L courtyard entrance. The byre section is of three-and-a-half bays and has braced tie beams with struts.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as an extensive C17 agricultural and stable complex with Elizabethan timber-framed origins, forming part of a largely unaltered example of a sub-medieval Unit Planned complex.

Group value with other listed items at Plas Chambres.