Fronlas

Cadw's description

Location

Reached by a farm track 1 km west of Pont Felin Wynfa on the B4393.

History

A small farmstead probably of the C17 with possibly contemporary buildings in tandem and at right angles. The group includes two later pigsties to east, a lofted shed to south, and a Dutch barn to west, all separate.

Fronlas was part of the Wynnstay Estate, recorded in 1844 as a farm of about 82 acres (33 hectares) tenanted by Thomas Jones. The estate farms were sold off after the Second World War. The tenant families in the adjacent farms of Fronlas and Tynrwtra were related; after the breakup of the estate, the Jones family of Tynrwtra acquired Fronlas also.

The farmhouse was unoccupied when inspected.

Exterior

The main range, at the north side of the farmyard, consists of a 1½-storey two-window farmhouse with a lofted outbuilding range to its left, under the same roof. The house and outbuilding are built against sharply rising ground at the rear, the ground floor being raised about a metre above the level of the farmyard: there is a flight of steps up to a slate landing at the front door of the house, and a flight of corbelled stones forming steps to the outbuilding door to the left.

The house is of lobby-entry type, stone stack and door to the left. It is built of uncoursed large quasi rubble masonry. The roof is of small slates with a tile ridge. The house has a C20 semi-glazed main door and two C20 casement windows in openings which have perhaps been altered. Above the latter are paired metal lights of six or twelve panes in dormers. Paired casement window in right gable. The agricultural range in tandem to the left of the house has a tall heck door to the right and a heck door at left at yard level with a small window. The left bay has double doors and its loft is timber boarded.

The agricultural outbuilding is in smaller quasi rubble. Its left (west) gable is restored in brickwork and its rear wall is in rubble stonework. At rear (north) and right (east) of the house are lean-to annexes in brickwork or metal sheeting, roofed in slates or asbestos sheeting.

Interior

Interior of house not seen. Range in tandem at left has a central barn floor with low divisions each side; workshop in the west bay.

Reason for designation

The major part of an intact vernacular farmyard group of house and outbuildings, which have retained their character.