Maes-yr-Helmau Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on a high bluff just below a rocky knoll overlooking Clywedog and reached via a farm track leading off the A470 l.2 km E of the service station E of the town.

Exterior

Early C17. End chimney, two unit cross-passage regional house with hall and two service room plan. Sited downhill with near contemporary farmbuilding adjoining to left.

Single storey with loft. Whitewashed rubble masonry. Steeply pitched slate roof, plain eaves, close verges. Square stone end stack to right, water tabling. Late Cl9 stock brick stack to left.
3 late Cl9 gabled dormers set wholly into roof. Bargeboards, slate hung cheeks. 2 light, small paned casement windows.
Enlarged window to ground floor left, modern frame. Doorway to left of centre, stone lintel, Cl9 plank door. Small window to right, original opening, stone lintel, 2 pane fixed light window. Blocked window to extreme right?
Deepened window to right on rear elevation, stone lintel, 4 pane casement. Blocked door of former cross-passage with inset modern window to right of centre, stone lintel. Deepened window to left, stone lintel, 4 pane casement. Enlarged window to left, timber lintel, 2 light small paned casement.

Interior

Broad former cross-passage with raised cruck truss to left, collar removed. Evidence of wattle infill. Hollow stop chamfered transverse ceiling beams, end ones resting against walls. Ogee stops to cross-passage only. Some joists also stop chamfered, but plain to hall; ceiling inserted? Stop chamfered bressumer to broad fireplace. Stair of cl800. 2 further collared trusses. High yoke-like collar to that between cruck and chimney end. Hall appears to have been unlofted beyond cross-passage.