Bodynfoel and Tanrhiw Farmhouses

Cadw's description

Location

Reached by a farm track to the north-east side of a minor road, about 1 km north-west of the village of Llanfechain.

History

Circa 1690 (a late C17 date inscription has been noted), the former home of the Trevor family and later a large farmhouse on the Bodynfoel estate based on Bodynfoel Hall. The Trevor family is recorded at Bodynfoel in 1679. Haslam noted the house as 'a rare example of the English pattern of a manor house of the late C17'. It was purchased before 1839 by Robert Maurice Bonnor Maurice, and was noted at that time as a farmhouse, occupied by John Edwards with about 330 acres (133.65 hectares). It lost status when the new owner decided to build Bodynfoel Hall in the 1840s.

The farmhouse was altered at rear when converted into two County Council farmhouses in the early C20, such tenancies being a marked feature of Montgomeryshire local authority rural management policy. A drawing of the house in 1872 shows the front with mullion and transom windows and hipped roofs, and indicates that the changes of its front appearance in County Council ownership were not extensive; flat-roofed dormer windows were inserted in the centre section of the front elevation, and the existing dormers of the two forward wings were given flat roofs.

Exterior

A large symmetrical two-storey house in brick, with stone quoins, painted white at the front, sides and part of the rear; slate roof of hipped form, probably restored in the early C20. Its main feature is the front (south) elevation, less altered than the others, facing downhill, away from its farm track. This elevation has two projecting two-window wings and a three-window centre. Heavy stone string course at first floor level. Two flat-roofed dormers have been inserted in the central block and gabled dormers in the wings have been replaced by similar dormers. The front fenestration is modern within the old openings, but the openings retain their segmental brick heads and stone sills.

The principal feature of the rear is the large central lateral chimney in brick which has later been heightened considerably in brick. The walled up heads of two original upper windows appear at the rear of the building at left. The C20 extensions are under a lower pitch catslide roof; they have three large through-eaves dormers with even lower pitch catslide roofs. Large lateral chimneys at the sides of the building to left and right. Gabled two-storey extension to east side near the front.

Interior

The interior is reported to retain some good woodwork including stairs and a good mantel surround.

Reason for designation

A C17 manor-house of ambitious Renaissance-influenced architectural character in early brickwork; although subdivided into two houses and given some rear extension it has kept its front character to a considerable degree.