Fowl House at Drws yr Ymlid Farm (including rubble-walled yard)

Cadw's description

Location

Situated c2km NE of Llanfair. Upland farm reached by farm track off the mountain road that runs NE from the coast at Llanfair, just beyond the crossroads SE of Harlech. The Fowl House lies immediately to E of the farmhouse.

History

C19 fowlhouse, contemporary with other farmbuildings at Drws yr Ymlid and annotated on the tithe map of the parish, 1849.

Exterior

C19 farm-building that appears to have been built as a general fowl-house for chickens and geese; structures like this were particularly intended to protect these animals from foxes. The local rubble structure comprises a monopitched slate roofed building to the W end where it is separated from the boundary of the farmhouse forecourt by a small rectangular enclosure that is open to S. On the eastern side of the fowl-house is a quadrant-shaped rubble-walled and gated yard from within which the building is entered. The fowl-house would have originally been floored internally and access is on its E side via two openings divided by a slate lintel - a small square aperture for chickens over a taller one for geese. On the N side of the yard near the entrance is a small goose pen - a low rectangular recess with stone lintel.

Interior

Internally the fowl-house has a stone-flagged floor.

Reason for designation

Included for group value with the farmhouse and adjacent listed buildings as a rare surviving example of this building type and set within this specially interesting upland farm group.