Tump Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

On slope above River Usk, reached along a farm track running N from Thornbury Cottage some 700m W of Bettws Newydd on lane to Chain Bridge.

History

Late C17 to early C18 small farmhouse with barn in line, now incorporated into house. Marked on 1842 tithe map as part of the Duke of Beaufort's estate, occupied by Alexander Jones Esq of Brynderwen, tenanted by Thomas Lewis.

Exterior

Farmhouse and barn, whitewashed rubble stone with single slate roof, hipped over barn W end. Small one storey and attic house with lower E service wing and later rear wing. Barn range continuous and probably to longhouse plan-form. Entrance front to yard is double fronted with later brickwork surrounds to ground floor sashes and twin gabled eaves dormers with casements. Stable door under gabled hood on 2 old oak brackets. Brick and render left hand stack with stone weathercoursing. E end lower addition with door to right and small sash to left under eaves. Small brick E stack. Outside stairs to loft on E end. C19 rear wing, 2-storey, rendered with C20 windows and side-wall stack with set-offs.
Barn with original ventilation slits left and right under eaves, full-height centre entry, subdivided with C20 recessed infill. Timber lintels to window to left, and two windows set low to right due to fall in ground. Right window was a door. Three C20 skylights in roof. E end to barn has pronounced lower batter to walls and squared quoins, rear half-height doorway, C20 glazing. Lean-to to left, vent loop and window to right.

Interior

Interior not inspected 1999. In 1990 house retained one large, pegged A-frame truss, notched and tenoned at ridge beam, plus trenched purlins (tie-beams added). Massive external stack and flagged ground floor with chamfered beams and checked stops. Ground floor partition appears to have been moved to right; blocked-up opening to barn. Barn since incorporated into house, had then three large pegged A-frame trusses with tie-beams; flagged threshing floor with cobbled upper end and timber storage platform over animal house in lower end.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-preserved late C17-C18 small farmhouse, having unusual plan of house and barn in line.