Bontglantanat Farmhouse and Barn

Cadw's description

Location

About 2 km south of the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and about 250 m south of Glantanat bridge, on the west side of Nant Engyll.

History

A C17/C18 farmhouse with a small threshing barn in tandem, forming part of a group with a detached barn probably of the early C17 on the other side of the farmyard. Believed formerly to have been the home farm of Glantanat Uchaf. Shown on the Tithe Survey (1839) as Pen-y-bont Glantanat farmstead (house, buildings, fold, garden &c) with about 99 acres (40 hectares), owned by John Bonnor esq and tenanted by John Jones.

The house was originally of two-unit lobby-entrance type, to which first the east rear wing and later the west rear wing were added. The upper room over the back kitchen (wing to east) had separate stairs and did not communicate with the rest of the house, and was probably a room for servants. The barn and granary range in tandem is also later than the original house: the pitching eyes in this part are an estate detail linking this farm to other local farm buildings.

The house was recently damaged by fire, and was under restoration when inspected.

Exterior

A two-storey three-window farmhouse facing south to its farmyard, in uncoursed quasi-rubble slate masonry, with a restored slate roof, tile ridge and brick mid-chimney; two adjacent later rear wings in similar masonry and roofing occupying the full width of the main range, each with a brick end-chimney.

The front elevation has two main windows above and two below, plus a small additional upper window at left (west). Two- or three-light mullion windows with iron casements and glazing bars. Stone sills. Timber lintels to the lower openings. Plain door offcentre to right. One rooflight.

An opening beneath the adjacent granary leads to the rear entrance of the house at its right side (east). Plain door in flank of rear extension, where there are also a two light upper window and a three-light lower window of similar construction to those at front, but the lower window and the door have brick segmental arches. Stone sills. Similar three-light windows in the rear gable wall of the west rear extension.

The barn range is in similar stonework apart from the granary link which is timber-clad. Random slate roof in small courses. Heck door at front with brick segmental arch; slit ventilators left and right; exterior staircase to granary at left, in stone with some brick repair. At rear the barn has another heck door aligned with that at front, a lower door to the east storage bay, a ventilation slit and two C19 round openings formed in brickwork.

Interior

Large fireplace in the east rear wing, with an extremely steep staircase at side.

Reason for designation

Part of a set of listed buildings of a minor estate small home farm, which has retained its exceptionally good character.