Cruck Barn at Ty-coch

Cadw's description

Location

In the farmyard of Ty-coch, at the east side of the minor road from Llangwyfan to Llangynhafal.

History

The two upper-end crucks have been dated by dendochronology to 1430.
Timbers at the upper end show signs of smoke blackening. Mortices survive for windbraces - two to each bay. The building was originally a house consisting of an inner room (one bay), a hall with passage (2 bays), and a cow house (2 bays).
Probably in the early C18, the building was converted to agricultural use; the roof pitch was altered, and higher (3-tier) timber-framed pegged to the crucks.
At this time the old tie-beams were replaced with new tie-beams at a the higher wall-plate level of the new framing.
Around 1850, as part of farmyard replanning, probably by the Plas Coch Estate, the timber-framed ends were replaced in stone, and the infill of the framing in brick.

Exterior

A 5-bay cruck threshing barn with stone gable ends returning about 2m at the sides. The side walls are in timber framing 3 panels in height, in timber of light scantling, on a plinth of rubble stonework. On the north side the timber framing survives almost completely but at the south much of it has been replaced in brickwork. Great door survives at north (second bay from east) and evidence of similar at south.

Interior

Four cruck trusses survive. The upper cruck (truss 1) was replaced in stonework circa 1850. Truss 2 was the dais-end truss, and evidence for a door remains in the face of the R cruck blade. Truss 3 was the central hall truss with cranked notch-lapped lower collar. Truss 4 has a tall king-post supporting ridge; there are mortices for a loft doorway set under the collar; rebate for doorway on SE side. Truss 5 has later collar and king-post.
Truss 6 appears to partially survive in the stonework of the lower end gable.

Reason for designation

A fine cruck-built threshing barn with origins as an early C15 house.