Gwastad Annas (Old House)

Cadw's description

Location

Located towards the NE boundary of the community, at the northern end of the Glaslyn valley; sited to the rear of and below the present late C19 farmhouse and accessed via the old valley road running northwards from the A498 near Hafod Llwyfog.

History

House of late medieval origins. Dendrochronological investigation has provided a felling date of 1508 for two cruck-blades, and a date of c1539-75 for the bresummer beam over the hall fireplace, demonstrating the insertion of a fireplace into a cruck-framed hall. Part of the Aberconwy Monastic lands farmed from 1508 and later bought by the Wynn family of Gwydir. Named as Iwasdainas in Ministers Accounts of 1536.

Exterior

2-unit lobby entry house with later addition in line. Of whitened rubble construction with C20 slate roof (rubble gable parapets lost), with squat central chimney; weathercoursing and simple capping. Stone hoods above primary openings with C20 glazing. Off-centre entrance (to L) with stopped-chamfered frame and recessed boarded door; flanking windows and a further, blocked opening immediately to L. Further window and boarded entrance in later addition to far R. The rear has a 10-pane turn-of-the-century casement in a former door opening, with 6-pane flanking casements. Further entrance to L with boarded door; this is recessed between 2 C20 lean-to additions, that to the L larger and both with corrugated iron roofs. Four-pane late C19/early C20 sash to the upper L gable.

Interior

Lobby entry plan with parlour to the L and former hall to the R of the chimney. Wide stopped-chamfered bressummer to hall fireplace, with similar lateral ceiling beam and stone-flagged floor; C19 ceiling joists and boarded doors. An enclosed C19 corkscrew stair with pine boarding leads to the upper floor from the hall. Two-bay collar truss roof to primary section, with C19 superimposed roof structure.

Reason for designation

Listed at grade II* as an exceptionally well preserved example of a stone-built late medieval hall-house, securely dated to the C16 and retaining good traditional character.