Model Farm, Roundhouse

Cadw's description

Location

About 2km south west of the Church of St Thomas a Becket approached down a long cul-de-sac lane off the south side of the road to Usk.

History

Early/mid C19 model farm built for the Duke of Beaufort. It is late Georgian in appearance but it does not appear on the Tithe Map which was registered in 1841, although it will have been surveyed up to five years earlier. From its appearance the farm must date from very soon after the survey. Model Farm was part of the estate sold by the Duke of Beaufort in 1900 to Henry Simpson of Tredean and later to Sir Edward Curre of Itton Court. It was in the process of conversion to housing at the time of the re-survey inspection.

Exterior

Built of coursed red sandstone rubble with Welsh slate roof Single storey cruciform building with various openings in the four wings and central roundhouse, some blocked, some reopened, some new windows, elliptically headed doors and cart doors. Two 3-light timber windows in elliptical heads in one wing. Rear not seen.

Interior

The spaces are in the process of being divided up with concrete block walls. Machined queen post roof trusses with raking struts in the wings. The roundhouse in the centre from which the four wings radiate is a remarkable piece of early C19 carpentry with posts and beams supporting a roof over an octagonal space with diagonal beams, strainers, subsidiary posts and rafters all complete and apparently unaltered.

Reason for designation

Included as a little altered late Georgian model farm which dates from about 1840 and has group value with the other buildings, the farmhouse and the mill house.