Pontyperchill Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Located 1.7km S of Bettws Cedewain church and reached by a short farm road on W side of B4389.

History

C17 or early C18 house modified in the C19 by the creation of an attic storey which included insertion of a full-height staircase and windows in the gable of the W wing. Contemporary with this was the replacement of the original windows and stacks, and a new decorative tiled roof.

Exterior

Two-storey plus attic, L-shaped timber framed house, consisting of a main range with cross-wing. C19 roofs of patterned tiles with crested ridge tiles. Two C19 brick stacks with crosses in relief in each face, to R of main range and axial to cross-wing. The main range is framed in square panels while the cross-wing is predominantly close studding but has square panels in the gable with painted cusps. The plaster is impressed with a variety of C19 designs including horseshoes and Tudor roses, while the front range has a single pargeted Tudor rose. The main range has a 2-window front with a 3-light shallow oriel window on brackets to R (under a hipped roof in the lower storey), 2-light to L (in the lower storey flanking the doorway); 4-panel front door. The R gable end has a lean-to with tiled roof, above which the gable is close studded. The rear elevation has fixed lights similar to those of the front elevation. The cross-wing has a doorway at the angle with the main range. Its front gable has 3- and 4-light shallow oriel windows on brackets in lower and upper storey respectively, and 3-light casement inserted C19 in the gable. The ground floor window is under a hipped roof matching that in the main range. The L side wall is weatherboarded with casement windows, while the rear gable has 3-light casements similar to front.

Interior

The house probably originally consisted of a hall and kitchen in the main range and a parlour and service room in the wing. In the C19 this was modified by inserting a staircase in the former hall, while the kitchen became the parlour and vice versa. The C19 staircase is full-height. In the room to R in the main range is a spine beam with ogee stops and a fireplace with original bressumer and timber framed baffle walls with brick nogging. The cross-wing has a buttery reached by stone steps at the rear.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good example of the local tradition of timber framing, of special interest for displaying square panels and close studding in a single building, and for the completeness of it C19 modifications.