Nant-y-Meirch Cottage and attached Agricultural Range

Cadw's description

Location

Located uphill from, and NE of Plas Moel-y-Garnedd, and sited across the slope; faces NW. Plas Moel-y-Garnedd is set in its own landscaped grounds above Bala Lake; reached up long drive, 1km from Llanycil.

History

Sub-medieval cottage, possibly c1600 and originally timber-framed; encased in stone at a later date, lofted stable added and then remodelled in early C19, probably contemporary with the extension of the agricultural range to SW end. Shown complete on 1st edition OS map, surveyed in 1886. The agriculatural section was converted to office use in the 1990s.

Exterior

Single-storey sub-medieval vernacular house of whitewashed rubble with timber-framed origins and boulder plinth. Slate roof and C19 red brick chimney stack unusually placed midway up the front verge; raised eaves. 4-pane windows, two of which flank the boarded door entrance towards the left hand end; separate, to right, is a further window. Modern lean-to on NE end. Adjoining flush and stepped up to the right is an unwhitened rubble stable section. This has a stable door to the R with slate lintel, and stone steps up to loft on the L; the loft entrance is now a modern plain-glazed window; slate roof with projecting kneelers (similar stone kneeler to rear of cottage). Stepped down beyond the stable section, and also unwhitened, is a 3-bay former cowhouse with modern plain-glazed windows and doors.

The rear elevation has a cross-frame window to the R, with diamond leaded top-lights, irregular 12 pane sash to centre and 3 light window to left with small panes to the top.

Interior

Nant-y-Meirch cottage has 3 cruck-like trusses, 2 of which are of upper-cruck type and third is uncertain. Open hall with balustraded loft, to NE end, carried on massive bressumer into which the feet of one of the upper-cruck trusses sit; closed truss to SW end of hall, forming partition. Entrance is onto a passage that runs along front wall. Stone dividing wall between cottage and store is inserted. The original plan of the building is problematic but it does not appear to have had a chimney and therefore was either of open hearth type or was not originally a domestic building.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a sub-medieval regional vernacular house with earlier, cruck-framed origins and later adjoining agricultural range.

Group value with other listed items at Plas Moel-y-Garnedd.