Cornbarn range, Dronwy

Cadw's description

Location

Dronwy is reached via a track leading N from Pont Dronwy, c 800m N of the church of St Machraeth. The agricultural range is located 100m N of the farmhouse.

History

The barn is possibly C17 (perhaps contemporary with extensions to the farmhouse); the cowhouse range represents an addition of the C19. C20 alterations to openings.

Exterior

Long agricultural range with corn barn to the S and cowhouses to the N. The corn barn has uncoursed rubble walls with boulder foundations. Grouted roof of small slates with narrow gable coping to N end. Central door with massive boulder jambstone to L, with a corbelled stone lintel forming a dripcourse. Narrow ventilation slit to L, with former door blocked to form small window to R. Winnowing door to rear wall now infilled with breeze block, with infilled window or pitching hole to L. Extending the range, with a lower ridge line, are a pair of conjoined cowhouses, that to the L with a corrugated iron roof, that to the R with a roof of small slates with a skylight in the rear (W) pitch. The L cowhouse has a door blocked to form a window to L, with a stable door to centre and a blocked window to R. The cowhouse to the R end has a single blocked door to the L end. A door in the N gable end has been widened to allow tractor access. There is a modern breeze block shed attached to the S gable end of the corn barn.

Interior

An internal inspection of the corn barn was not possible at the time of the survey. The cowhouse to the N end has a 3-bay roof with sawn and bolted collared trusses, with torching to the underside.

Reason for designation

Listed as a C17 corn barn, with later additions, built during an early phase of the development of the farmstead and sharing detailing such as the corbelled lintels with the rear wing of the farmhouse, suggesting a contemporary build.