Saethon Old Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Situated some 600m down drive running NW from point some 1.4km NE of Capel Nant on road to Rhydyclafdy.

History

C16 to C17 gentry house that later became farmhouse of Nanhoron estate. Datestone of 1666, unusually in Welsh, reads: 'Evan Saethon o Saethon a briododd Margret 6ed ferch Moris Williams o Hafod Garegog Esq ac agenhedlodd 5 o blant awr yn fyw MAS KS LS (initials of 3 daughters) 1666'. The first Saethon of Saethon was Hywel in the early C16. John Williams of Saethon was instrumental in establishing Capel Newydd in 1769. There are leases from the Williams family in the early C19 suggesting that the farm was then tenanted. Abandoned in mid C20 when present farmhouse was built immediately W. There is a blocked C16 window on the S end and another mullioned window in the rear wall right of the gable and the staircase may be stone under the present timber. The arch-bracing of the roof trusses also suggests a C16 date, at which time the roof would have been open from the first floor. There is also said to be an early roof truss in the S addition, later C16 perhaps.

Exterior

House, whitewashed roughcast over rubble stone with square corniced stone end stacks and steep roof of small rough slates. Two storeys and loft, T-plan. 5-window E front, spaced 1-3-1 with square small-paned windows of early C19, some sash, some with tilting upper part. 20-pane to first floor, 24-pane to ground floor fourth and fifth windows, 6-pane smaller window to ground floor left and door in second bay with date-plaque 1666, and British Fire Insurance plaque. S end wall has raised chimney breast, blocked C16 2-light stone mullion window with cusped curved heads to first floor right. Outbuilding attached to S, rubble stone with collapsed slate roof and large stone end stack. E front has stone outside steps to loft door in angle to main range, 20-pane window to loft left and small 9-pane ground floor window. The original door was on the ground floor, with dripstone, blocked by stone steps. Lean-to on S end. Rear is roughcast with small-paned window each floor. Rear of main house has blocked window first floor right, originally mullioned, and large central rear wing with W end stack and small window each floor to right in W gable end. To left of gable, an added outshut with door and paired 4-pane windows.

Interior

Three-room plan with chamfered ceiling beams to ground floor rooms. S end room has large fireplace and in-and-out moulded plank partition to entrance passage. Centre room with rear-wall fireplace, partly infilled. Axial beam in N end room, which has been subdivided. Rear centre stair originally from centre room, now from entrance passage. Stair has plain wooden treads around a solid wall, but may have been originally a stone stair. First floor of 6 bays with presumably originally 3 rooms, now subdivided. Plank partitions. Attic has 6-bay roof with 5 tie-beam and collar trusses in oak. Originally 3 rooms, with wattle-and-daub partitions. First, third and fifth trusses appear to be arch-braced, the feet below floor level. The two partition trusses are simpler, second truss has struts between tie and collar, fourth truss has collar cut through. Double purlins, and slots for removed windbracing.

Reason for designation

An important surviving mid C17 to C18 gentry house.