Cornbarn-cowhouse range at Mynachdy

Cadw's description

Location

In an isolated rural location and in an elevated position along a trackway to the W of the main farmstead group at Mynachdy and c100m SW of the house.

History

Early C18 corn barn, with a long cowhouse range added in the early-mid C19. The agricultural ranges at Mynachdy are not marked on the Tithe Map of the parish of Llanfairynghornwy, 1841; however, the map is poorly annotated, not all the buildings are shown and none of the agricultural buildings are recorded.

Exterior

Long agricultural range with a taller corn barn to the L, and an added cowhouse range to the R, with a rectangular stone-walled enclosure built on either side of the range (probably a stack yard to rear and a cattle yard to front). The corn barn has well-built rubble walls with boulder foundations; prominent corbel stones to L gable, and 3 infilled ventilation slits to the R gable. The roof is of small slates, partly grouted; the rear pitch is covered in corrugated asbestos sheeting. Narrow central opposed doors with ventilation slits either side, those to the front enlarged to make windows, those to the rear are unaltered. The cowhouse range to the right has four doors, with the sequence WDWDWDWDW; segmentally arched heads with rubble voussoirs and dripstone. The windows are either enlargements of earlier windows, or have been inserted. Three doors to the rear wall, 2 either end leading into lean-tos with catslide roofs, and a central door leading to the rear yard.

Interior

The corn barn is of 5 bays, with hewn A-frame roof trusses, with lightly-built collars pegged to the principals. The cowhouse is of 8-bays, with sawn and bolted A-frame roof trusses. Now opened into one building internally, with a stone wall partition to the R end.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good early C18 corn barn with added cowhouse range, sited prominently above the farmstead at Mynachdy to facilitate the winnowing process; part of a good farmstead group.