Bryngof

Cadw's description

Location

In a rural location, at the end of a farm track, set well back from the N side of the A5(T) W of Llanfairpwll; S of the village of Penmynydd.

History

Late C17 or early C18 farmhouse and stable range, built c1700. Marked as a simple rectangle on the Tithe Map of the parish, 1843; owned by the Right Honorable Marquis of Anglesey and farmed by Robert Roberts. The Tithe Schedule is well detailed listing every field within the holding, but hard to read. The Census Returns of 1851 records the then tenant, Owen Prytherch, as being a farmer of 120 acres (48.6 hectares), employing 4 labourers; he occupied the farm along with his wife and 6 children.

The house has been unoccupied since the mid C20 and was re-roofed with profiled asbestos sheeting and used to house chickens; there are few of the original roof timbers and only the posts of the post and straw partition now remain.

Originally a cross passage house, extended to the rear by the addition of a central staircase block and dairy which were probably contemporary with the lofted stable and threshing barn built at the R (SW) end in mid C19. The range was further extended by a later C19 cowhouse and a brewhouse built to the rear of the house. Late C20 lean-to additions have been built along the front elevations of both house and barn.

Exterior

Two storey farmhouse and single bay lofted stable range, with barn and cowhouse built to SW end. The house is built of rubble masonry with small packing, limewashed; later additions have large boulders as quoins. Stone gable stacks and tiled ridge; now roofed with profiled asbestos sheeting. The front faces NW, a 3-window range with openings offset to the R; central 1st floor window opening now blocked. The house was extended to the rear by the addition of a hipped roofed staircase block, with dairy under a catslide roof in the SE angle; later extended by the addition of a brewhouse in the opposite angle which retains a small brick chimney at the NE end; the later additions retain slate roofs. Some of the original small paned sash windows remain, albeit in a ruinous condition.

The lofted stable is advanced to the front under a catslide roof; the roof retains small slates, grouted, formerly with raking gable dormer which was removed when the roof was repaired in mid C20. Ground floor access is a single doorway in the R of the rear elevation, a single loft window to the L is set under the eaves.

The barn is partially lofted (at the NE end) with access to the loft via a flight of external stone stairs at the front of the building; there is a single loft window to the rear above a wide doorway to the the NE end of the building. Opposing narrow doorways are sited at the opposite end, all doorways have segmental brick heads. The barn is built of rubble masonry with a slate roof, re-roofed with used slates in the late C20.

The cowhouse has been altered in C20 and several of the original doorway partially blocked to form windows. Built of rubble masonry and re-roofed with false slates in late C20.

Interior

The house has a large stepped fireplace with massive bressumer and corbelled interior. The ground floor has chamfered beams and joists and the posts of the plastered post and straw partition remain.

Reason for designation

Listed, notwithstanding condition, as a good example of an early cross passage house which retains a rich vernacular character. The additions clearly reflect the growth and development of the farm and together comprise a complete farmstead range.