Rhiwaedog farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the end of a private driveway that leads NE from the country road at Pont Rhiwaedog; c. 400m ENE of the village of Rhos-y-gwaliau. The farmhouse is directly E of Plas Rhiwaedog.

History

The oldest part of the range probably dates to C17, with C19 range to N; C20 alterations and additions.

Exterior

Two storey farmhouse with attached store and barn and single storey lean to built forward from the massive lateral stack to S end of the range. Built of roughly coursed stone with large stones as quoins and lintels; there are long blocks visible in the S gable and the later range is distinctly different and has slate lintels. Slate roof with slightly advanced eaves and verges at the N end, the older part has an shouldered lateral stack with capping along the front wall and a brick stack to rear; the C19 range has a narrow rectangular brick stack at S gable.
The principal elevation faces E with the original house at the S end; there is a doorway to L (S) of the lateral stack and a single ground floor window to L end. Advanced from the front wall, directly to front of the lateral stack, is a lean to addition with access via a boarded opening in the front wall. The rear of this older part of the house is partially obscured by a single storey block that links the farmhouse to the gentry house at Plas Rhiwaedog. At the southernmost end of the range is a former store and accommodation, to rear a 3-window range, with partially blocked doorway in the L (N) opening; mainly 4-pane casements and with a 4-paned light over paired shutters to R (S). The S gable has a later doorway with brick jambs, a 1st floor 2 light casement window and a similar window set into a partially blocked opening, formerly a doorway with the remains of the pulley system in the gable apex.
The C19 house to R (N) is a 3-window range with the openings offset to the R and a doorway between the ground floor windows under a shallow overlight. Windows are horned sashes with tall panes to each light; there is a 6-pane window to R of the door and a larger 8-pane window to L, 1st floor windows are 6-pane sashes in gabled half dormers that break the eaves line. Similar 6-pane windows are at the R (W) end of the N gable.
The barn is advanced at right angles to the S end of the main farmhouse range and has a single central doorway and pitching door in the E gable. Built against the NE corner of the barn is a single storey addition with entry via a doorway in the E gable. The rear of the barn is obscured by a single storey lean to of profiled metal sheeting.

Interior

The L (S) doorway in the E wall leads directly into what now comprises the kitchen of the farmhouse, which retains rough chamfered cross beams and exposed joists. A door in the S wall leads into the rear portion of the range, formerly accommodation and store, which retains plank and muntin panelling, a stone slab floor and rough chamfered cross beams. The upper storey has a tie beam roof with angled struts and retains the drive wheel to the sack hoist mechanism.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good estate farmhouse range that includes the structural remains of the original C17 house and is the centrepiece of a good farm group; closely associated with the adjacent gentry house at Plas Rhiwaedog.