Old House at Pentre Farm

Location

In a farmyard on the N side of the junction between the main road through the village and Brynford Road.

History

The character of the house suggests early C18 origin, but the house is first mentioned in 1795, as a Hanmer Estate Farm. A castellated porch and a separate wash house were added in the mid C19, the latter being first shown on the 1870 Ordnance Survey. The house was sold in the 1880s to Llewelyn Henry. The house has been uninhabited since a new house was built at the farm in the late C20.

Exterior

A 2-storey house of rubble stone with a roof partly of slate but mainly corrugated galvanised sheets, and external gable stacks, the upper parts of which are rebuilt in late C19 brick (but subsequently reduced on the R side). The 2-window front is roughcast and retains horizontal-sliding sashes. The central porch retains some of its original castellations, and has a boarded door. A 2-storey wash house is attached to the L angle of the front, of roughcast walls, a slate roof behind coped gables and end brick stack. In its side wall facing the main house is a boarded door, while the gable end facing the yard has horizontal-sliding sashes in each storey. Corrugated iron sheds are built against the L gable end. The rear has an outshut kitchen on the R side.

Interior

In the lower storey are 2 units, both with a single spine beam (boxed in parlour to the L) and a cross passage leading to the rear kitchen. The cross passage walls are rubble stone (part taken down on R side beside former hall doorway). The wash house retains its original basin and boiler.

Reason for designation

Listed, notwithstanding condition, as an C18 farmhouse retaining its original plan form and C19 estate character and detail, and for group value with Bryn Awel, providing historic character to the N end of an otherwise much-modernised village.