Millbrook

Cadw's description

Location

On the north west edge of the village, on the corner at the road junction beside Pen-y-bont bridge over the Afon Honddu. Rubble-walled front garden.

History

Largely of later C17 character but orignally c1600 with cross-wing added soon after; raised and remodelled in later C17 work to form the main accommodation; some subsequent alterations and modern restoration, with new windows and the wing reconstructed internally (1996-7).

Exterior

Main part of house is 2-storey and attic; red sandstone rubble elevations and modern Marley tile roof, the wing now has a stone tile roof (added 1996-7) with rebuilt end chimney stacks. Mostly modern fenestration but in C17 manner with oak mullions to 3 and 4-light leaded casements. NW front, from which house is entered, is L-shaped with lower range forward to right; 1-window elevation to 2-storey part, the ground floor window of which replaced a narrower window and Tudor arched doorway; entrance is now into lower range at the angle- 2-windows to right and loft and garage doors to north west gable end. NE (left) gable end retains stone cornices and labels; includes two windows to the ground floor, one to the first floor and 2-windows to attic. 2-window SE (garden) front with two 3-light windows on the ground floor and a 3-light and a 4-light on the first floor; and rubble SW gable end including 5-light, diamond mullioned, ground floor window, 4-light on the first floor and 3-light in the attic; the lower range has small-pane timber and metal-frame windows to south west side.

Interior

Fine Hall with post and panel screen to one end and massive fireplace to the other with megalithic sandstone lintel and monolithic jambs; includes spice cupboard. Full-height deep recess to right of the chimney (possibly originally a doorway, although no evidence survives on the masonry) and Tudor-headed, boarded door to left opens onto a winding stone stairs. The hall ceiling has Wern Hir stops to tranverse beams and exceptionally unusual broach and faceted torus stops to joists. The screen has chamfered posts and evidence of a former bench; ogee type doorheads to either end with triangular headed doors; stone flagged floor. The inner rooms, divided by square-panelled partition, retain stop-chamfered beams; later chimneypiece to south west. Further Tudor-headed door at top of stairs and another at base of flight with solid oak treads that leads to attic. 2-first floor rooms divided by post and panel screen with concave-moulded post edges and depressed ogee-type doorway to right - cruder doorway in end room led into former loft of lower range. Chamfered beams etc. but ceilings are not uniform; broad floorboards; end room has massive chimney lintel. Attic has 4-roof trusses with heavy collars and paired purlins. Against the north west wall of the main house, the lower range has broad, full-width, space, created by stone partition; open to the roof beyond with low tie beam; this range may have originally been for animal accommodation. This range is in the process (April 1997) of being converted into a kitchen on the ground floor and two rooms divided by an oak framed partition above, all this, with the staircase, is new work.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* as a well-preserved sub-medieval house with fine interiors.