Farmhouse at Plas Cemlyn with curved walling to north and wall incorporating goose pens to south

Cadw's description

Location

Set back from the S side of the country road running along the N coast of the island at Cemlyn Bay. The farmstead at Plas Cemlyn is located c1km SE of the Church of St Rhywydrys.

History

Early C19 farmhouse with attached servants quarters and late C19 horse-powered dairy. The farmhouse was built as a replacement for the original farmhouse, which stands a short distance to the N, over the road (also listed). The house is marked as a single rectangle on the Tithe map of the parish of Llanrhywydrys, 1840. The farm is recorded in the Tithe schedule as being owned by Owen John Augustus Fuller Meyrick Esq. who owned a number of farms in the Cemlyn area at the time. The farm was quite extensive, over 63 acres(25.5 hectares) and was run by Catherine Jones. In 1885 the farmhouse was extended by the addition of the horse-powered dairy; the wall encircling the horse works in the angle between the house and dairy is extant. The farm buildings were also comprehensively re-built at this date, including a new cowhouse, stable and granary-cartshed range, built in line with the existing C18 corn barn, with end wings, and a separate hammel range.

Exterior

A 2-storey with attic, 3-window farmhouse with 2-storey servants wing to rear, with a lofted dairy attached to the R (N) side. Rubble walls with rubble voussoir lintels to main elevation; purple slate roof with interlocking ridge tiles. Gable end chimneys, rendered with capping, the larger to the L (S) serving the inglenook. Symmetrical elevation offset to the R, with a central gabled porch; glazed door with margin panes, flanked by 4-pane sash windows, those to the 1st floor of reduced height. Modern windows in R gable and rear elevations. The servants wing to rear has a tall gable end chimney, with an external stone staircase to the former headman's accommodation on the 1st floor. Modern small-paned windows to ground floor; small 4-paned horned sashes to 1st floor. The dairy wing has a gable end chimney with capping. 4-pane sash window to W elevation. The former horse works, in the E angle between the house and dairy, is bounded by a curving stone wall, forming an arc. The wall includes a blocked archway at the S end. Attached to the S side of the farmhouse is a high stone garden wall, which incorporates a row of recessed bays set a ground level in the W side; stone boxes roofed with rough slabs, the openings narrowed with brick facings, probably goose or duck nesting boxes.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of the survey.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good early C19 vernacular farmhouse with characteristic details of the period, such as the offset elevation, the larger chimney to one gable, and the reduced size to the 1st floor windows. The servants wing and dairy (with surviving evidence of horse power) clearly show the development and function of the farmhouse, which also forms part of an intact C19 farmstead group.