Blaentrothy Farmhouse and attached Farm Buildings

Location

Approximately 4 km SW of Grosmont, at the end of a long farm track which runs W off the minor road between Greig Lodge and Cefn Clytha.

History

Mid C17 two-unit farmhouse, modernised in the later C20 when a rear outshut added. The former C17 stairs wing (which projected from the back wall of the hall) has been rebuilt, and a C20 stone porch added. In C18 Blaentrothy belonged to the Campston estate; and the eminent Welsh schoolmaster James Davies (1765-1849) was born here.

Exterior

C17 farmhouse. Red sandstone rubble; slate roof, projecting stone chimney stacks with brick flues. Two storey and attic. E front, ground floor has off-centre C20 stone entrance porch with monopitch slate roof, boarded door. Flanking entrance on each side are broad C20 3+3+3 pane casement windows with dripstones and timber lintels. First floor has three windows with shallow timber lintels; to right are two C18 3+3+3 casements and to left a C20 2-light casement. Attached to S gable of farmhouse is a single storey farm range; rubble stone with corrugated metal roof. The portion nearest the house is timber framed and clad with horizontal boarding, the lower end is stone walled with two entrance doorways. Attached to N gable of farmhouse is a two storey granary; rubble stone with corrugated metal roof. First-floor has boarded doorway with square blocked opening (to right) and is reached by C20 cast-iron spiral stair.

Interior

Not available for inspection at time of resurvey.

Fox and Raglan (Vol. III p 64) illustrate the unusual roof truss at Blaentrothy Farmhouse which allows a central doorway to be cut through the principal tie beam, thus giving greater headroom to the habitable attic. The stout vertical posts of the door frame are held in place by being tenoned both into the soffit of the collar (above) and the top of the ceiling beam of the bedroom (below). On each side of the doorway, the inner ends of the cut-through tie beam are tenoned into the sides of these posts, so the door posts effectively act as a tie.
The ground plan consists of two ground floor rooms: living room (left) and smaller parlour (right). Ceiling beams are said to have roll-and-step mouldings and scroll stops.

Reason for designation

Included as a well-preserved farmstead comprising C17 two-unit farmhouse with farm-buildings in line; birthplace of the eminent Welsh schoolmaster James Davies (1765-1849). Group value with the listed farm buildings at Blaentrothy.