Talwrnmaenog Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 0.5km SW of Llanwrthwl church and reached by farm road on the S side of the churchyard.

History

A C17 house with integral porch comprising originally a hall with screens passage, to which a parlour was added later, probably in the C18. Immediately L of the main doorway there was originally a narrow passage leading to an outer room (now the kitchen) behind the hall fireplace. The house was improved in the late C19 by adding dormers and sash windows.

Exterior

A rubble-stone one-and-a-half-storey house set across the sloping hillside. The roof is slate with a brick ridge stack replacing the original hall stack, and a C19 stone stack to the R end. Offset to the R of centre is a one-and-a-half storey porch rebuilt in the early C20, with a pointed arched doorway and a window above under a concrete lintel. To its L is an enlarged hall window under concrete lintel, and further L the kitchen is lighted by a late C19 casement window under a wooden lintel. At the L end is a further window lately added. To the R of the porch the parlour is lit by a late C19 sash window under a wooden lintel. The attic has 3 gabled roof dormers with sash windows.

In the R gable end is a small window lower R and a smaller opening upper R with shutter, both openings with drip moulds. The rear of the house is pebble-dashed painted cream. On the L side is an inserted boarded door incorporating a small window on its R side. To the R of centre is a shallow projection, possibly of a former stair turret, beyond which is an added blockwork lean-to and casement window to the R end. A blockwork lean-to is added to the L gable end.

Interior

The porch opens into a passage with a post-and-panel screen now concealed. Two doorways have shaped heads, the more ornate of which opened to the hall, while the plainer opened to a passage adjacent to the hall. The original extent of the hall remains discernible by the cross and spine beams, which span only two-thirds the width of the room and accommodate space for a passage on the entrance side of the building. The cross beams have stopped chamfers. The hall and kitchen have back-to-back fireplaces. The present passage between hall and kitchen, at the rear of the house, is probably the site of the original stairs, corresponding to a slight projection in the outer wall. The present stair is modern. The parlour, now divided into 2 rooms, has a fireplace with timber lintel and stepped stops.

Reason for designation

Listed as a sub-medieval farmhouse retaining early plan form and detail.