Little Cwm-dowlais Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Approached from Llanbadoc down a lane west from the Usk-Caerleon road and about 2400m north of the centre of Llangybi village.

History

The farmhouse dates from c1700 but reuses some earlier features. It appears to have been modernized in the C19 with new windows and possibly the addition to the left gable. It appears to have been very little altered since.

Exterior

The house is constructed of limewashed local rubblestone with Welsh slate roofs and red brick stacks. It is two and a half storeys with an almost symmetrical front with central entrance and gable stacks. Central plank door in a gabled porch. This is flanked by 3-light casement windows and three over three 2-light ones in the floor above. All these windows appear to be Victorian. Moderate pitch roof with three gabled dormers with 2 x 2 casement, the dormers are Victorian. The wing to the left has a door and a window on the ground floor and a smaller window above. The windows on the rear elevation are said to be late C16 ones reused but these were seen only at a distance. There is one on the ground floor on either side of the gabled rear wing for the stair and pantry in the centre of the elevation. This only has a small window in the gable.

Interior

The interior was not available for inspection at resurvey. It has a two room plan with a partition between the two rooms panelled in squares. The rear wing contains cellar, pantry and a dog leg stair without balusters but with a decorative peirced light panel at its head. This was reported by Fox and Raglan and it seems likely that it remains unchanged.

Reason for designation

Included as a very unaltered early C18 farmhouse which is now a rarity.