Gellipistyll

Cadw's description

Location

On the E side of Tranch down a track running SW off Tranch Road.

History

Late C16 and C17 farmhouse on downslope site. The original late C16 uphill end of two-room plan with attic enlarged by the addition of a gabled two-storey and attic lower end with pentice across the front, cross-passage between the new principal room and the old house, and unusually a pentice over the first floor window. There was a group of similar farmhouses with pentices in the area including Church Farm, Trevethin, and Oaklands and Glynbran, Llanfrechfa Upper. The change from the two-room plan to the three-room plan with cross-passage is particularly well illustrated here, the display of the added part overshadowing the low earlier part. The house is a relatively rare example of an upland farmhouse with 'Renaissance' type display. There was a small outside kitchen set some 50 yards (45.7m) away, dated to c1700.

Exterior

Farmhouse, in two parts, the earlier upper end of whitewashed rubble with stone tiled roof and the slightly taller lower end of whitewashed render with slate roof and rendered end stacks, the right one serving the earlier range. Both stacks are large and square with rebuilt narrower square shafts. Earlier range has one small horizontal window of 8 panes (replacing a mullioned window) set under eaves to left with rough hoodmould, and one larger horizontal triple casement window to left of centre also presumably replacing a mullioned window, and casement pair window to right. It had a small right end chimney, and has one loft window in right gable end. Rear is altered, part rendered with two added buttresses. Door and adjoined casement to left with timber lintel and brick relieving arch, casement pair to centre, small casement first floor right.
The added lower end is a near-square block of two storeys and attic, one-window range with attic centre gable and central window each floor. Attic has casement pair with dripstone, first floor has triple casement with slate pentice over on 4 oak beams and ground floor has longer triple casement with Tudor-arched door in oak frame to right recessed in square-headed surround with timber lintel. Slate-roofed pentice right across on five short oak beams, carried down to left over added porch with door on inner wall. Rear has whitewashed rubble lean-to with door to centre and window to left, first floor.

Interior

Interior not available for inspection, earlier range said to have upper crucks in roof, post-and-panel partition with Tudor-arched doorheads, and beams with stepped hollow stops. The diamond mullion windows noted in 1951 have gone. The door was in the lower end wall next to a blocked large fireplace which had the stair on the other side. This door was also Tudor-arched, but is now within the cross-passage of the added C17 lower end. The addition is said to have notched collars to the roof trusses.

Reason for designation

Included as a particularly good example of the two phases of Monmouthshire farmhouse building, the C16 two-room plan with oak partition and the addition of a cross-passage and third room in the more formalised Renaissance style.