Pont-yr-ychain Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 2km E of Llantilio Crossenny, at the end of a long farm track which runs S off the B 4233.

History

The plan of this probably early C18 Renaissance house is unusual in not being symmetrical. In the conventional Renaissance layout, with the entrance doorway placed in the middle of the facade, the interior plan generally has a central lobby and staircase which divides the ground-floor space into two rooms. Placing the front door and the staircase at the side meant that a single large ground-floor living room could be created, which was an advantage in a smaller house. In C19 the house was partly revamped and a new staircase added, and more recently it has been re-rendered with some like-for-like repairs.
In the C17 Pont-yr-ychain belonged to the Needhams of Hilston. Later the house was owned by Thomas Williams, Dean of Llandaff. Subsequently it formed part of the estate of Sir Joseph Bradney.

Exterior

Early C18 Renaissance house. External render with rendered plinth; hipped roof has lead flashings and two tall chimneystacks in end-wall to W (one brick, one rendered) and bracketed eaves. Two storey plus attic. Front roof slope contains three dormer windows each with monopitch roof, tiled cheeks and 2+2 pane casements. First floor has three square window openings with 6-pane horned sashes and stone sills. Ground floor has 4-panel door with 3-pane horizontal overlight (left) and two 12-pane horned sashes (right) with stone sills and panelled aprons. End-walls of main house are blind. Rear elevation has projecting kitchen wing with hipped roof (left) and smaller hipped stair wing (set back to right), each with small roof-light. Kitchen wing has C20 metal windows in broad camber arched openings on ground and first floors; Stair wing, C20 window on first and 6-panel door on ground floor. A single storey back-extension with hipped slate roof projects at centre of rear elevation. Against end-wall of extension (right) is small brick lean-to with corrugated asbestos roof.

Interior

Entry into broad stair-hall which has dado rail and ceiling cornice. C19 quarter-turn stair with landings. Open string with applied brackets. Landings have turned newels and ramped hand-rails. Bottom newel-post is omitted and hand-rail is swept round in spiral turn and carried on simple square section balusters. Front room has moulded ceiling cornice, panelled shutters and blocked segmental arched opening in axial wall. 6-panel door to kitchen and 4-panel doors to first floor bedrooms have fielded panels. Bedroom fireplace has good C18 Forest (‘duck's nest') cast-iron grate. Habitable attic is partitioned, collar trusses, two tiers of purlins.

Reason for designation

Early C18 Renaissance farmhouse with well-preserved facade retains unusual ground-plan with early details, and interesting mid-C19 alterations.