L-plan Farm Ranges at Cefnrhychdir

Cadw's description

Location

L-shaped ranges to the rear of the main house forming two sides of the farmyard; the farm is on the boundary of the urban development of Phillip's Town, the NE part of New Tredegar.

History

S range with its lower-pitched roof and batter suggests an earlier date than the E range where the oculus ventilators indicate a post-improvement build of the early C19. W range is higher. House, modernised and excluded from listing, reputedly has a C16 origin and was remodelled in early C19; early illustrations show it with stone tiled roof, casement windows and slate hung. Tithe Map of 1842 shows the farm building layout almost exactly as at present. The larger-scale more detailed first edition OS map shows a projection at the S end of the E range but not as wide as the current cart/carriage bay, also two small projections on the S gable end, possibly pigstys, no longer extant. The tithe apportionment of 1842 identifies the owner as Sir Charles Morgan (of Tredegar) and the occupier as Matthew Fothergill - the title of the farm given then as Cefnuchdir. The Fothergills were industrialists and reputedly much visited by their landlord Lord Tredegar, for the storage of whose carriage they reputedly made provision - hence perhaps the extended carriage bay. Lord Tredegar owned land on this E side of the Rhymney River, whereas the Marquis of Bute owned land on the W, Brithdir, side. Lord Tredegar built the local church of St Dingat in 1894.

Exterior

An L-shaped range comprising two farm buildings creating the E and N sides of the farmyard. Both are built of stone rubble, partly limewashed and retain stone tile roofs. The E range is 2-storeyed with pitching door in gable end and oculus ventilators; ground floor openings onto yard including wide low doorway and one blocked arch. Roof extends forward at right to create a cart shed or carriage bay. Rear opening to field, and boundary wall extends from S end to the farmyard entrance. The N range has a deeper roof and is set into the hillside slope with the loft opening in the gable end above the rear farmyard entrance. A range of square headed openings onto farmyard is protected by a pentice of Welsh slates; stepped down to right is a second smaller pentice over lower openings, the wall battered. To rear is a small central porch bay with gabled roof of Welsh slates.

Reason for designation

Included, notwithstanding altered condition of house, as a farm range retaining much of its character especially stone-tiled roofs. Group value with the barn range.