Castle Building

Cadw's description

Location

In the west part of the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, beside a minor road to Cefn-coch.

History

A terrace of three cottages, probably late C18. Shown on the Tithe Map of 1842 as three cottages. The whole building is now in unified ownership.

In 1842 these cottages were part of the Wynnstay Estate. The slight variation of the three plans, however, suggests an attempt, uncharacteristic of estate work, to equalise the accommodation of the three (the left cottage enlarged at rear, the middle one with two front windows, the right cottage with adjustment at rear to take advantage of the road frontage). Each cottage in 1842 had a detached outbuilding at the roadside to the north (no longer surviving).

Exterior

A short south-facing terrace in local coursed slate masonry with a restored slate roof, timber bargeboards, tile ridge and brick chimneys. It is two rooms deep, but the front pile is slightly longer than the rear and overlaps slightly at the right end. The left cottage has a two-storey extension to the rear under a catslide roof.

At front the terrace has irregularly spaced but regularly vertically aligned fenestration, the left (west) cottage single-window, the centre cottage with two windows, and the right cottage single-window. Four small second-storey windows tight beneath the eaves, each divided into four and two panes by an offcentre mullion; stone sills. The four first storey windows are of 12-pane hornless sash type in exposed frames, with stone sills and cambered stone arches. Two similar windows survive at ground storey and a door to each cottage. The door to the right cottage is concealed behind a large recent glazed porch.

Door and six similar sash windows in the rear part of the right return elevation facing the street; three small windows in the rear part of the left return elevation.

At rear there are two doors and three small windows plus one small multi-pane second-storey window tight against the eaves. Two sash windows similar to those of the front elevation in the east side of the rear extension of the west cottage.

Interior

The interior is still in the form of three cottages, each with its own staircases; the plans of the centre and right cottages are slightly interlocking.

Reason for designation

A terrace of cottages of urban type, which has retained its character.