Plas Hendre

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the end of a farm lane at right angles with the main village street, to the NW of the village centre.

Exterior

Sub-medieval storeyed farmhouse set into the slope of a rise. The earliest section is the lower range, probably late C16, to which an upper parlour cross-wing has been added in 1635. This
forms an L with the primary range which it partly overlaps and the original parlour wing of which it probably replaces. Late Georgian alterations and additions to lower section. Rubble construction with red brick dressings and chimneys to lower range and with modern stone mullioned windows to cross-wing and to rear, some of which replace originals. Medium-pitched slate roof. Presently undergoing extensive restoration (summer 1994).

The main entrance is on the SE front of the lower range. 2 window facade with late Georgian near-flush 16-pane sash windows with cambered voussoirs to ground floor. Entrance to L, currently open with similar cambered head. Modern off-centre brick stack. Stepped- down to the R, a 1 bay range, added in the early C19 remodelling. Cambered-headed entrance with boarded door and
modern window above. The cross-wing adjoins the main range to the L. Entrance at angle with the main front (currently open) with disturbed opening to L. Dressed stone detailing to gable end
including gable parapet and kneelers. Modern ovolo-moulded 3-light mullioned windows and renewed date shield to centre (1635). Fine lateral chimney to N/W face, gabled and kneelered at
top and with renewed brick stack. Similar window to ground floor L and taller one to the R, both with new stone lintels. Modern square stone opening above. Attached single-storey outhouse at
right angles to L with kneelered gable to NE. The rear gable of the cross-wing has a 2-light window with a 3-light one above, as before. Lower range with plain rear and low, off-centre entrance. Loft door and external stepped access to rear of lower addition. 2 disturbed window openings to downhill gable end.

Interior: Cross-passage to the lower range with square-framed timber partition to R. Heavily beamed ceiling to right-hand room, stopped and chamfered. Inglenook to lower end with modern timber bressumer. At the rear the passage turns L along the side of the chimney towards the cross-wing. At R an early C19 straight flight stair with plain turned balusters to upper landing. 2 ground floor rooms to cross-wing with timber-framed, lath-and -plaster partitions, both with beamed ceilings as before.
Inglenook fireplace to the N room, occupying the whole length ofthe downhill wall. Its position, backing onto the cross-passage, would suggest that it belonged to the earlier (C16) parlour, and
was retained when the 1635 wing was constructed. The roof is entirely modern and the pitch has been raised, although one contemporary truss in the lower range survives in part. The first- floor gable-end room to the cross-wing has a stone, ovolo moulded chimneypiece with four-centred head on the uphill wall.

To the rear of the main range, a detatched Ty bach with stone mono- pitch roof.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good example of a sub-medieval vernacular house retaining considerable internal character.