Maes-y-bwch

Location

At the east side of Waterfall Road about 3 km north-west of the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.

History

A substantial C17 house originally associated with the Wynne family. The original form is a two-unit lobby-entrance house with an additional corner fireplace in the inner room. The rear extension, now in stone originally timber-framed, is of later date than the front range, an interesting decision to follow masonry by timber framing. The east unit of the front range is also not original (C19).

It is marked on the Tithe Survey (1839) as Maes-y-bwch, house, buildings, gardens etc, owned by Richard Jones of Caemawr, occupied by John Vaughan with about 119 acres (48.2 hectares).

Exterior

A large 1½-storey, two-unit house enlarged to three units and extended to rear, in local irregularly coursed shaley stone with traces of render; slate roof and tile ridge, two stone end-chimneys and a lateral stone chimney to the front. The additonal unit to the east and the rebuilt rear extension are in quasi-rubble masonry.

The original part of the main (south) elevation has two 12-pane mullion windows above and below, the upper ones in stone through-eaves dormers. At left is a boarded door, at right a chimney stack over a gabled base. At time of inspection (2003) the later additional bay was roofless pending renovation: door at left, windows aligned at right, the openings segmentally headed.

Interior

Stairs of original house in the thickness of the rear wall, with secondary access from them to the upper storey of the rear extension.

Reason for designation

A fine late vernacular farmhouse which has retained its character.