Monmouth Cap Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the end of a short farm track on the SW side of the minor road from Llangua to Grosmont, approximately 500m SW of Llangua Bridge.

History

A post medieval timber framed house, later encased in stone, possibly in the late C16, and substantially altered in the later C17/early C18 when the roof was heightened and the house front remodelled. There have been some C20 repairs and modernisation, including the addition of a rear outshut, but much of the original timber framing is visible from the interior.

Exterior

Rubble stone; C20 composition tiles, end-stacks with stone bases and brick flues. E front is one-and-a-half storey and regular. Upper floor has three gabled dormers with 2+2 pane casement windows. Ground floor has central doorway flanked by two transom windows on each side. Window opening (far right) has chamfered stone dressings and stone sill and late C17 two-light transom; otherwise transoms are C20 replacements. Above the ground-floor window lintels, a continuous string course runs across facade. Entrance doorway with chamfered wooden surround has boarded door with two panes in door-head; small open porch with stone slab hood supported on slender posts with roll-moulding at angle. Flanking the entrance are transom windows, two on each side; the transom (far right) has chamfered stone jambs. E gable has a projecting stone stack with offsets, and small C20 single storey addition; N gable a 2+2 pane casement with dripstone, and 6+6 pane casement with cambered voussoirs and stone sill.

Interior

Three unit plan. Entry into centre room, visible to left and right are transverse timber framed partitions on each side comprising two tiers of large square panels (some repaired). Ground floor has three chamfered ceiling beams with Wern-hir (hollow and fillet) stops. Room to right of entry has C17 transom window with moulded surround and panelled shutters. On first floor, inserted doorway cuts through tie beam of roof truss. Roof of three bays: collar and tie beam trusses with V-struts above collar, trenched purlins and ridge purlin. Many roof timbers are re-used, one with mortices for a 4-light diamond mullion window, suggesting they may originate from the C16 house.

Reason for designation

Well-preserved C16 regional house with unusual small-scale symmetrical facade of c.1700 to older timber framed structure with very high quality interior carpentry.