Church Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on roadside just S of Gwernesney churchyard, on lane N of B4235, some 2km ENE of A449 Usk exit.

History

Late C16 to early C17 farmhouse. Two-room plan with screen, chamfered beams and joists in the typical style of the region. Lean-to addition on one end probably early C19, and altered fenestration. Plan in Fox & Raglan shows original entry by the main chimney at S end, this now opening into lean-to. Marked on 1843 Tithe Map as owned by James Hilton Ford Esq., occupied by John Harris, with 79 acres (31.97 hectares).

Exterior

Farmhouse, rubble stone, previously plastered, with slate roof and end stacks with brick shafts. Two storeys and attic, irregular windows mostly C19 or modern. East front has roof slightly split at centre, with eaves slightly higher to right than to left. Right part has small gabled dormer with paired casement, first floor right long C19 window with yellow-brick sides, ground floor casement pair below and 6-pane C20 window to left. Left part has casement pair with yellow-brick right jamb, over C20 half-glazed door, right jamb of both of these aligned with break in eaves. Added lean-to open porch on 2 iron posts. Left end added lean-to with first floor casement-pair. Right gable end has corbelled external chimney, with 2 offsets at top left. Small casement pair to ground floor right. Stone voussoirs. S end lean-to has 2 casement pair windows with cambered heads and stone voussoirs.
Rear has one skylight in roof, to right, two casement pairs under eaves, door to ground floor left and casement pair to right. Single storey rear wing continues from S end lean-to. Brick W end stack, sash window to N side. Dormer and sash window to S. Further addition to W with W stack and whitewashed brick N wall with casement pair.

Interior

Two-room plan. Ground floor main room has 4 large chamfered beams with stepped hollow moulded stops. Joists have diagonal stops. C19 fireplace, stone spiral stairs to left uncovered since 1980, door to right into lean-to with heavy oak frame. Post and panel partition uncovered since 1980 has Tudor arched door to right. Kitchen to N in former parlour. Massive deep and narrow beam has stepped hollow moulded stops at centre as well as ends, indicating a longitudinal division. S end lean-to has C19 bread oven. Modern stairs to first floor. First floor has 5 beams with stepped hollow stops, the third grooved for a partition, the first and fifth against end walls. Oak winding stairs to attic, 3-bay original roof with 2 massive collar trusses and double purlins, two of the 4 grooved on underside, perhaps reused.

Reason for designation

Included as a substantial late C16 farmhouse with surviving post and panel partition, winding stair and heavy beams.