Powis

Cadw's description

Location

To the north of the village of Penygarnedd, at the junction of the road to Pont Pedair-ffordd.

History

A small probably C18 coaching inn with outbuildings likely to have included stabling, marked on the Ordnance Survey of 1900 as 'Powis Arms (PH)'. The inn was still functioning in c.1947. On the porch gable the words 'Ann Davies, licensed to sell beers wines and porter' are still faintly legible. An alternative name of the house appears to have been Penygarnedd.

The house is of three-unit lobby-entrance type, the left unit altered in the early C20 and slightly set back, with the entrance against the side of the main chimney between the middle and right units. The room to the right is traditionally named 'the committee room' and was probably used as a minor court room. The middle room (to the left of the entrance) was a kitchen, and there are traces of a bread oven at the left of the fireplace. There were early stairs adjacent to the front wall of this unit.

Exterior

A long range of 1½-storey buildings, consisting of a three-unit former inn at left and a range of plain outbuildings at the right, all in local slatey masonry. The masonry is uncoursed except that the outbuildings have been extended in coursed work. The inn part is painted cream and the outbuildings white. Restored slate roofs, including small slating in the valleys each side of the dormer windows. Small end-chimney stack at left (rendered); larger mid-chimney, also rendered. Four boarded doors in the outbuildings part, two with integral loft hatches. The left end of the domestic part has a modern brick lean-to shed. The right gable of the outbuildings part has its upper part clad in vertical boarding.

Each bay of the former inn has a stone dormer with a 16-pane hornless sash window, with timber lintel and sill. Similar window below (right of entrance) in exposed frame. 6-pane horned sash window in the middle position (left of entrance) with cambered stone arch and brick sill. Lower window of left bay blocked. One 16-pane sash window in the left gable. Main 4-panel door in an open-fronted porch with brick side piers and a slated gabled roof.

At rear the house has been radically altered, but retains early stone lean-to extensions to most of the domestic part. Eaves height at rear considerably raised. At left of the main central chimney there are two four-pane casement windows above and below, not aligned; to right of the chimney a 12-pane dormer sash-window.

Interior

Two longitudinal beams in each unit; transverse beam separating the centre unit from the original left unit has been sawn off. Cellar access in rear outshut.

Reason for designation

A well preserved late vernacular former public house with outbuildings.