Hafod y Garreg

Cadw's description

Location

Situated across field from Penygraig, reached by track from just N of Trericket Mill.

History

House, late C15 probable single bay hall house with early C17 inserted chimney, and floors and roof raised probably in late C18 or early C19. The remarkable late medieval decorated closed truss is smoke-blackened on downhill side but not visible on the uphill side due to the inserted chimney. Marked on the Crickadarn Tithe map of 1842 as a holding of 59 acres (23.88 hectares) owned by John Powell and occupied by Watkin Watkins. The farm was part of the Llangoed Hall estate, until sold and restored in later C20 with new timber windows, new staircase and other alterations.

Exterior

House, rubble stone, formerly whitewashed with slate roof and stone stacks, a large square ridge stack towards the right and a smaller right end stack. One and a half storeys, the part to left of ridge stack double fronted with 2 small gables each with 6-pane window and ground floor with 9-pane window each side of half-glazed double door, in late C20 porch-conservatory. Section between chimneys has one similar ground floor 9-pane window. Stone sills, stone lintels, and stone dripstones, apparently renewed. Right end wall has first floor window with stone voussoirs to head and ground floor stone-tiled small lean-to to right of C20 greenhouse. Rear has 9-pane window to left and small window to right.

Interior

Entry into central room with massive fireplace to lower end and partially-complete post-and-panel partition to upper end. Small rooms to upper end beyond, former dairies and scullery. Narrow lower end room beyond main chimney, with end fireplace.
Centre room has massive fireplace some 2m in depth with exceptionally large fireplace lintel. Bread oven within. Door to left with cambered oak lintel chamfered below with ogee point in centre. Remnant of winding stair within. Beam in centre of room is hollow-chamfered on downhill side only and has chamfered square joists between this side and similar beam over fireplace. Rough square joists on uphill side to partition, but it is possible that the partition is not in original site. Post-and-panel partition with an ogee moulding, no longer full width, so missing original end doors. C20 stair in front.
Lower room has small fireplace with timber lintel and beam in front with hollow chamfer. Upper end small rooms were dairy and pantry, rough beam and square joists.
First floor has the massive chimney downhill of landing, and in end room is exposed what appears to be a cruck truss of unusual elaboration. Arch-braces to a high collar and a centre post below from which diagonal struts branch out, slightly cusped, and forming with the cusped undersides of the arched braces trefoil heads to the two plastered panels. The elaboration goes further in that the centre post has 2 small bosses or knobs each side and what seem to be arch braces to the foot, presumably off a tie-beam, though not over visible beam below. Heavy smoke blackening. The form of the truss shows that the roof has subsequently had the eaves raised. Corner fireplace with stone voussoirs.
On other side of chimney door to left of chimney breast to head of former winding stair. The roof in this section has collar trusses with vertical posts beneath feet carrying weight down to tie beams below and rough purlins, late C18 or early C19.

Reason for designation

Graded II* primarily for the remarkable late medieval closed truss and the fine C17 fireplace.