Old House at Middle Gaer

Cadw's description

Location

On S side of minor road between Middle and Lower Gaer, reached from N of A40 opposite the Kestrel Inn.

History

A hall house of c1500 into which chimney block with staircase was added mid C16, soon after which the walls were raised and a continuous first floor was inserted with doorways through the chimney block, followed by the insertion of an attic storey. The house had probably been converted for farm use by the C18 but was probably occupied in conjunction with the new house at Middle Gaer to W of old house and built early C17, possibly the result of gavelkind, the division of holding equally among sons.

Exterior

Two-and-a-half storey house (converted for farm use) of rubble stone with putlog holes, dressed quoins, and freestone dressings to openings; corrugated iron roof. In the N wall facing the road is a cross-passage doorway offset to R with stop-chamfered Tudor head. Offset to L is a former 2-light hall window with arched heads, which has been converted to doorway with the original sill re-used as a threshold. At L end is small window in dressed surround with original iron bars. In the upper storey are a small window with dressed surround to L and a loft opening under timber lintel to R. In the R gable end is corbelled first-floor stack cut down below the apex, to L of which is small mid C16 window with chamfered surround and an attic window inserted late C16 with a timber lintel and dripstone. The rear elevation has a Tudor-headed cross-passage doorway offset to L, immediately L of which is a similar doorway blocked. To R of centre is an enlarged doorway, and at R end is a small C16 window with dressed and chamfered lintel. In the upper storey are 2 large C18 openings with timber lintels. The L gable end has a small attic window added late C16 with timber lintel and dripstone and stepped down beyond, a later rubble stone barn.

Interior

The hall and inner room are now undivided, as are the cross passage and outer room. The hall fireplace has a timber lintel. At the upper end the first and attic floors are supported on corbels in the dividing wall. The interior is said to have contained wall paintings of stylised foliage and a man wearing a ruff in Elizabethan style. The roof has tie beams and cambered collar beams.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II* as a late medieval house retaining many of its original features, and the earliest component of an impressive of group of early houses comprising Middle and Upper Gaer.