Rhydywernen

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the western end of the Cwm Main approximately 1.2km N of Sarnau; immediately to the W of Rhydywernen chapel, to the W of the lane, and built gable-end into the slope.

History

Late medieval 4-bay, cruck-built hall house, probably late C15 or early C16. This originally consisted of an open 2-bay central hall with a central truss having cusped decoration above the collar. At the dais end was a post-and-panel partition with unheated parlour beyond; at the opposite end was the service bay. All of these primary features have survived. The timber-framed walls of the house were encased in rubble probably in the late C16. At the same time a central stack was inserted within the second bay, thereby creating a lobby-entrance plan; the hall was also ceiled over in the usual manner.

Exterior

Single-storey late medieval hall house of timber-famed, cruck-built origin. Boulder and rubble encasing walls, rendered to the front; steeply-pitched slate roof with 2 modern skylights each to the front and rear pitches. Near-central stack with weathercoursing and modern capping. The entrance side has a modern porch with catslide roof, having stable doors and a part-glazed inner door. Flanking windows, that to the L with exposed timber lintel; both have modern wooden-framed glazing with horizontal tilting casement sections to the top. Later lean-to addition to the L with continuously-roofed flush modern extension beyond, the latter with 2 steel-framed windows to the end wall. Three windows to the rear elevation with modern glazing as before, and a narrow entrance to the far R; this has a deeply-recessed part-glazed modern entrance via 3 rough stone steps. Plain-glazed window to the R of this (in the lean-to) with expressed timber lintel.

Interior

Former open hall, now ceiled, with lobby entry and large central stack. Beamed hall ceiling, late C16 or early C17, with wide stopped chamfered main beam and finely stopped-chamfered joists. The primary post-and-panel dais partition survives opposite the fireplace. The fireplace itself is of inglenook type and has a curved, chamfered oak bressummer. To its L is an early C19 stick baluster stair. The original truss cruck blades are visible internally, embedded within the later (outer) walls. The hall trusses are visible on the loft floor. One is an ornate truss, with cusped struts above the collar; the other is a collar-and tie-beam truss.

Reason for designation

Listed for the special interest of its origins as a late medieval cruck-built open hall house retaining original layout, with an ornate primary truss and dais screen and later beamed ceilings.