Dol-Hywel

Cadw's description

Location

Reached by Cwm-nant about 4km south-west of Llanerfyl village, and located on the east-facing flank of Moel-ddolwen, but just within the boundary of Banwy Community.

History

Dol-Hywel was the farmhouse where William Jones (1726-1795) was born and spent his life. The farm was
a tenancy in the Wynnstay Estate. The farmhouse is a mid/late C18 house of symmetrical plan probably
built in Jones''s time and only altered in minor respects since.

William Jones was largely self-educated but gained considerable intellectual reputation. He was much taken by the ideas of Voltaire, and similarly espoused controversy and opposed petty oppression. Jones''s complaints to his landlord, Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, about his agents'' tyrannical behaviour, however, are said to have led to a general raising of rents in retaliation. He supported schemes of emigration to relieve distress, hoping to create a Welsh-speaking state in North America.

Jones was also a linguist, translating portions of Horace and Ovid into Welsh, and a noted local historian; he was ahead of his time in his involvement in preserving and recording popular traditions of music and dance.
The Llangadfan dances which he fostered were again revived for the bicentenary of his death in 1995,
and a plaque was affixed to the church to commemorate him as his grave was unmarked. The verse on the
plaque was written by his grandson.

Exterior

A two-storey, two window small farmhouse in local uncoursed masonry, painted white, with a large chimney
at the left gable and small chimney at the right gable. Restored slate roof. Brick stack to the smaller
chimney. The front and rear doors are modern replacements. All the windows are C20 replacements in
steel.

Reason for designation

A small farmhouse which, notwithstanding alteration to its doors and windows, has retained much of its
character; listed principally for its historical association with the local antiquary William Jones.