The Old Courthouse

Cadw's description

Location

On the S side of the B4385 at a staggered junction with a lane to Cwm and Wernddu Lane. The gable of the house fronts the road. There is a garden to the E of the house and a courtyard beyond surrounded by red brick and modern farm buildings.

History

A wooden panel is fixed to the front gable of the house, with a date of 1666 in relief. Probably a hall and cross wing plan originally, of which at least one range survives. Further ranges were added in the C18 and C19.

Exterior

The house comprises 4 ranges and 2 lean-tos constructed at different times. The earliest part is an advanced single unit range to the NW, with a rear wing which may also have early origins to the NE. Set back to the SW is a secondary range, probably added in the C18 with a C19 parallel range to the SE. Close studded timber framing exposed in gable end of NW range which has a jettied and moulded gable bressumer, with a small 4-pane iron casement window below. A masonry lean-to, possibly a pig stye, obscures much of the lower storey but an area of diagonal struts can be seen to the W, suggesting a chevron design, and a slightly jettied mid rail. The W and S elevations of this range have been refaced in masonry and recently repointed. There is a small-pane iron casement window above a plain, planked door with a simple paned overlight. The SW range is constructed of massive random rubble and has an external masonry stack and a small lean-to porch on the W side. The SE range is of brickwork, probably of C19 construction and contains a modern door in the S gable and a brick end stack. The NE range is of C18 construction and has a steeply pitched roof and brick ridge stack. Where it joins the NW range, is an area of box framing with brick nogging which may relate to the original structure. There is also a curious fragment of a shallow roof line above it. The remaining windows are generally modern casements, some under segmental arches with voussoirs and some under flat arches with gauged brick heads.

Interior

Not accessible at time of inspection (February 1996).

Reason for designation

The house retains significant early fabric (including some high-quality timber framing), incorporated in a distinctive phased development to form an unusually complex building.