Egryn Abbey

Cadw's description

Location

Set back from the NE side of the A496, c. 1.5km SSE of Tal-y-bont. The house and associated farm buildings are reached by a private track.

History

Egryn originated as a late medieval hall house (there is as yet no conclusive dating evidence but a terminus post quem of 1496 has been suggested), a substantial part of which survives as the core of the present structure. Recent dendrochronology has given felling dates of 1507-10 for the hall, 1592-1622 for the insertion of the upper floor. Its early plan comprised hall with twin inner rooms and one or more outer rooms beyond the cross passage. In the late C16 or early C17, a lateral fire-place was added (replacing the open hearth), and an upper floor created over the hall. Later still, the inner end was altered, with the creation of a single room downstairs. An additional bay was also added at the east. The hall survives in its entirety, with its original roof structure intact (including a louvre truss - important evidence for the former existence of an open hearth). The aisle truss dividing hall from cross passage is intact, and the dais partition also survives to full height, with two doorways indicating the original arrangement of the lower end. The site of the outer rooms is now occupied by a mid C19 range, but the line of the cross-passage is retained in the wide entrance/stair hall which runs the length of this range. It has been assumed that the original late medieval house was always stone-walled, and a late medieval stone doorway onto the cross passage tends to corroborate this. However the present walls show no obvious signs of disturbance associated with the insertion of windows of c1600, and it is possible that much of the external stonework may date from this later remodelling.
The origins of the name 'abbey' are obscure, but the site has been proposed as that of a late C14 hospital, founded for the poor and travellers on the Ardudwy coast.

Exterior

The orientation of the original house is E-W, with the Victorian wing (on the presumed site of the upper end) at the west. The early part is of coursed rubble stone with massive stone footings, and exposed timber wall-plate cut by dormer windows. Random slate The main front faces S. To the left is the gable end of the Victorian wing. At the left of the early range is the entrance to the cross-passage - a moulded 2-centred arched doorway in locally obtained freestone. The position of the hall is indicated by 2x 4-light mullioned and transomed windows with ovolo mouldings and hood moulds. A similar window lights the inner room to the east, and two 3-light mullioned windows which do not align above are also similar. These also use local freestone. A third window over the doorway appears to have been either a later insertion or replaced. A straight joint divides the later right-hand bay. Rear elevation has large gabled chimney projection, with added lean-to porch alongside. 9-pane window and doorway in added eastern bay, which has small lateral chimney.
C19 wing is of well coursed and squared stone; slate roof (asymmetrically pitched at rear over staircase) with pronounced overhang to eaves. The range is neatly symmetrical: its central doorway is partly glazed with coloured glass to margin lights and has a lattice-glazed overlight. It is flanked by 16-pane sash windows, with 3 similar windows to first floor.

Interior

Interior retains much of its late medieval ground-plan, of cross-passage, hall with inner room beyond the dais partition (originally two rooms), and with the Victorian wing marking the position of the original outer room(s). Dais partition is of post-and panel type, and continues through full-height (albeit bisected by the insertion of the hall ceiling). Two doorways remain, the larger to the south probably originally serving a parlour. Cupboards against the wall inserted to divide hall from cross-passage conceal the lower sections of the aisle truss: this is of box-framed type, with cluster-moulding to posts. Its continuation is visible in the upper partition and in the roof-space: capitals to post-mouldings, and elaborately cusped bracing to tie-beam. Ornate cusped detail above and below collar. The central open truss of the hall (also visible in the roofspace) is of arched-braced collar type, also with cusped decoration to apex and with central boss on underside; cusped louvre truss alongside it. Cusped wind-braces to flat purlins. Large lateral fireplace has segmental arch with traces of paint-work Victorian wing retains much of its original detail, with joinery including 6-panelled doors, staircase with scrolled tread ends and swept rail, and moulded cornices.

Reason for designation

Listed at II* as a remarkably complete surviving late medieval hall house, retaining virtually all of its original internal carpentry, the quality of detail richly demonstrating its high status. The house also displays an interesting development sequence with good C16-C17 detail associated with its adaptation to storeyed form, and a Victorian wing marking a later concession to changing architectural tastes and spatial requirements.