Abergwydol

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the Dovey valley, on the NW side of the main road, almost opposite the junction with the minor road to Abercegir.

History

Probably early C17; a 3-unit lobby-entry house. A cross-wing was added later, perhaps in the C18, incorporating the former inner rooms. The house was embellished in the C19, the detail suggesting the work of the Plas Machynlleth Estate. A shallow catslide lean-to was constructed along the rear wall of the main range, probably in the C19, to form a kitchen. Shown on the Tithe map in its current form with porch and cross-wing.

Exterior

Main range and cross-wing resulting in a T-shaped plan; constructed of random stone under slate roofs with stone stacks. The main range is of one-and-a-half-storeys, the cross-wing 2-storey. The C19 estate work includes timber-framing to parts of the upper storey, fretted barge boards to gables and iron windows with diamond glazing. The main range faces N with 2-storey gabled porch to R of centre, forming a lobby-entrance. The entrance contains a boarded door under a 4-centred arched timber head, probably an original feature, under a long timber lintel; 2-light plain-glazed iron casement to upper chamber; the gable is timber-framed with fretted barge boards; very small wooden lights to R return of porch, and immediately L of porch at a low level. Further L is a 3-light iron-glazed window under an attached timber hoodmould on brackets; upper storey has C19 box-panelling and a 2-light iron casement. To R of porch, former parlour at downhill end has large boulder plinth; 4-pane wooden window with timber lintel to lower storey. The W gable end lies on a plinth and has a C20 wooden window to the gable.

The cross-wing forms a garden front, facing E. It is an asymmetrical, 2-storey, 2-window range, with central gabled single-storey porch with 4-centred arched head, probably C19. Inside the porch is a boarded door with small light and an overlight. To the R of the porch is a lateral stone stack in narrow gabled projection with fretted barge boards, supporting a diagonally-set shaft. Further stone stack to L end of cross-wing with a pair of diagonally-set shafts. The windows are iron casements with diamond glazing, 3-light to L of porch with wooden hoodmould, and 2 x 2-light to upper storey, aligned above lower window and porch; gablet with fretted barge boards above L window. To the R, beyond the lateral stack, the upper storey is box-panelled; this returns to the N gable end of the cross-wing, which has diagonal braces to the gable and decorative barge boards. The lower storey of the N gable end has a 3-light transomed iron window with diamond glazing under a timber hoodmould; 2-light plain-glazed iron window to upper storey; small 2-light cellar window visible at ground level. The S gable end of the cross-wing has a C20 top-hung wooden window offset to L of upper storey. To the L, a shallow outshut has been built against the main range, flush with the gable end of the cross-wing. Part of the upper wall of the outshut has been rebuilt in shaley rubble. It has a 2-light wooden casement to centre with concrete lintel, and top-hung wooden lights to R and 2 to upper storey. To the L return, adjacent to the original W gable end of the main range, is a boarded door.

Interior

The lobby-entrance leads into the hall, which has a fine wooden coffered ceiling with deeply chamfered spine- and cross-beams with lambs-tongue stops. Large stone fireplace with chamfered timber lintel, opposite which is a post-and-panel partition with planked doors, 2 to L and one to R. These originally led to the inner rooms, but these were incorporated into the cross-wing which contains reception rooms and a straight staircase leading up to the W, in the position of the former N inner room. At the top of the stairs, part of a box-panelled partition is visible, above the post-and-panel screen. The ceiling levels in the cross-wing are higher than in the main range; the trusses were not visible. The former parlour at the W end, not seen, is now used for storage; the kitchen is in the outshut to the S of the main range.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* as a fine sub-medieval regional farmhouse retaining significant early fabric and detail including a wooden coffered ceiling to the hall. Strong picturesque character externally resulting from C19 estate work.