Y Fro

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 1.1km SW of Llanbedr church and reached by short private road S of minor road between Llanbedr and Crickhowell.

History

Early C17 house with plan form characteristic of the region, consisting of a hall with inner rooms, an outside cross passage and a byre at the lower end. (A detached kitchen was built C17 but was demolished 1960s.) The byre was later converted for domestic use and the house became 2 dwellings early C20, at which time a new doorway was inserted in the gable end into the former parlour. The house was altered early 1960s by Louis Hurley, when it again became a single dwelling and the door and door frame to the original cross passage were re-set in the later doorway in the gable end, and other alterations were made including new fenestration.

Exterior

Two-and-a-half storey, 5-window house with battered walls of rubble stone painted white. A stone-tile roof has a stone stack to L of centre with 2 diagonal shafts (1 of which is replaced in brick), a similar added stack to R, and an early C20 brick stack L of centre to the front roof slope. To L of centre is the doorway to the former cross-passage (with inserted French doors), to R of which is a 1960s 4-light insertion and further R a 3-light window to the original parlour with ovolo mullions. In the upper storey are 1960s 3-light casements. To the L of the cross passage doorway is the original byre, which has 1 ground-floor and 2 first-floor windows, and a 3-light window inserted above the doorway, all of the 1960s.

In the R gable end is an inserted doorway with a canopy to R (the frame and door having been moved from the cross-passage doorway early 1960s). The frame has a roll-moulded surround, and the shaped door head has marguerites. The boarded door has 3-pronged strap hinges. To L of the doorway is an inserted 4-light window with diamond mullions and a similar window with hood mould in the 1st floor (both moved from the front of the house). The attic has an inserted mullioned window under a drip stone. The rear has inserted windows and projections L and R. The stairs in the centre has a 3-light window with diamond mullions with a smaller attic light.

Interior

The plan form remains largely intact, although the cross passage is now divided. The hall retains a post-and-panel partition (partly repositioned) with a shaped door head. The former parlour window has wooden shutters. The fireplace has a timber lintel with a locker and an inserted oven at the back. Cross beams have cut stops. The fireplace stairs has stone treads to the 1st floor, continuing with oak treads to the attic. The attic stair light has a wooden shutter. The roof has trusses with lapped collars.

Reason for designation

Included as a good example of a sub-medieval regional building type retaining early plan form and detail.