Ffawydd including stone cattle ramp at downhill end

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 1.5km NNW of Llanbedr church, reached by a short private road on W side of minor road through Grwyne Fechan.

History

Early C17 house of one storey with attic, and with an attached byre. The original byre was replaced by the present byre and cattle ramp late C17. The house was improved early-mid C19 when it was raised to 2 storeys and the fireplace stair was altered to be accessible from the cross passage. Ffawydd ceased to be a working farm in 1962, subsequent to which some restoration has been carried out.

Exterior

Built into the hillside with the 2-storey main house at the uphill end, and a higher 2-storey former byre at the downhill end with a shallow projecting stair turret and large added outshut behind. Of whitewashed rubble sandstone and graded stone tile roof (restored to outshut). A stone ridge stack L of centre is a C19 rebuild. The uphill end has 2 small-pane Breconshire windows in the upper storey beneath the wall plate, a fixed light lower L and a paired late C19 sash window in an earlier opening under a drip stone lower R. The doorway, inside an added gabled porch and leading into the cross passage, is in the downhill end R of the stack and has a modern shaped door head with stop-chamfer surround and a boarded C19 door brought from Y Fro (qv). Above the doorway is a C19 half-dormer with sash window. Further R is a lately added casement in an earlier opening. In the lower storey is a 4-light window L with diamond mullions, and an inserted door to R.

Against the R gable end is a cobbled cattle ramp with a rubble stone revetment. In the R gable end are sawn off beams of a former pentice, a 5-light diamond mullion window to centre (now glazed), and former doorways R and L converted to windows. Above to R is a similar first-floor window, inserted 1963, breaking the line of a drip stone defining the former pentice roof, L of which is a small ventilation slit. Similar ventilation slit to attic.

The outshut wall is curved at the downhill end to follow the line of the cattle ramp. Facing the ramp is a 2-light small-pane casement under a timber lintel. At the rear the outshut has a central inserted casement window with half-lit door to R and a hen house forward on L. Behind the stair turret is a lately added extension to the outshut. The rear of the uphill end has a lately inserted casement upper R in an earlier opening and a similar but larger window below in a former doorway. In the uphill gable end is a 3-light attic window with diamond mullions.

Interior

The C17 plan form is maintained with the hall and inner rooms separated from the former byre by the cross passage. The door to the hall has a 4-centred head, and adjacent to the fireplace is a stone stair. A post-and-panel partition between the hall and inner room is lately brought from another site. The house retains 2 pairs of upper crucks, above which are crude principals added C19 when the walls were raised. At the lower end the principals survive but the tie beams have been replaced by collar beams. In the byre loft is a timber-framed partition with modern infill, added C19 to create a room above the cross passage.

Reason for designation

A good example of a traditional Breconshire farm house retaining early character and detail, and forming a strong visual group with the barn and stable in the farm yard.