Cae Canol Mawr

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the slope of Manod Mawr overlooking the Afon Teigl, approximately 3km NE of Ffestiniog.

History

Small Snowdonia hall house, probably of early-mid C16 date. The house is of 3 bays, of which two are occupied by the open hall and cross passage, with a storeyed end bay beyond the passage. The passage is also storeyed, but this may be a later modification; the original form of the roof truss over the hall perhaps suggests an undivided two-bay space. The house has undergone only minor, superficial changes, and therefore retains considerable integrity, as a small hall house with gable end fireplace, cross passage and storeyed lower end, comprising two unheated rooms to the ground floor, with a heated chamber above.

Exterior

Rubble construction on a boulder plinth, and with slate-coped rubble gable parapets. Slate roof with internal chimney on upper gable (hall) end, with large single stack with weather-coursing and plain capping. Stack lost from lower gable. Off-centre entrance (to right) with recessed modern door. To the left a C19 small 4-pane casement with similar window above. To the right, a large 6-pane casement with projecting lintel. Original window in rear wall of hall, with hood mould; plain modern glazing set forward of the original timber work, retaining original mullions. 2 modern windows beyond, that to left (to passage) with concrete lintel, the other an original opening. Adjoining the house against its upper gable is a lower stepped-back C19 range, probably originally agricultural, but altered by the addition of an external chimney. Roughly squared rubble construction with slate roof. Central recessed boarded door with small plain-glazed flanking windows. Outshut with catslide roof to rear.

Interior

Entrance into cross-passage, which has close-studded timber-framed partition to left, with original entrance into unheated parlour at the front, the cross-beam slightly chamfered to form the door head. A similar chamfer towards the rear probably marks the position of the original entrance into the smaller rear room; present doorway into rear room is clearly a later insertion. Chamfered joists to passage ceiling, and ceilings in the two end rooms. Partition on the hall side of the cross-passage is mutilated, but shows evidence for timber construction (there is a series of mortices in its upper rail). The hall is open to the roof, and has apparently original gable-end chimney; fireplace with slight stopped chamfer to timber bressumer. Roof truss over hall has been altered with the removal of a stud below a high collar, and perhaps queen-posts or braces from an intermediate collar: the existing tie-beam is not jointed into the principal rafters and with its struts, is clearly a later addition. Two broad purlins, and two tiers of cusped wind-braces which survive intact in upper bay, and partially in central bay. Broad secondary rafters. There is conspicuous pegging on the hall roof truss, and also on the purlins of the end bay. Truss at lower end of hall (beyond the cross-passage) was originally closed, as indicated by mortices in the collar. The end bay has only a single, plain wind-brace, and lacks the conspicuous pegging of the hall bay. Simple fireplace in gable end.

Reason for designation

Listed at grade II* as an exceptionally well-preserved and comparatively rare example of a small hall-house which retains its original C16 layout substantially intact and exhibits the combination of timber and stone in construction, with good carpentry in its fine vernacular roof. An important example of an early Snowdonia house type, predating the more common fully storeyed regional house which became widespread from the later C16.