Pen y banc

Cadw's description

Location

Located off the S side of a lane running E from Darowen and approx. 0.75km from the village.

History

Originally cruck-framed, but rebuilt in stone in the C17 with a lobby-entry plan-form. Raised to 2 storeys in the C19, and probably refenestrated at this time. Inside, the back-to-back fireplaces served a hall and parlour, with 2 small inner rooms; C17 ceiling beams. The stub ends of 2 crucks were found near the fireplace.

Exterior

Two-storey 4-window range of white-washed random stone under a slate roof. Large ridge stack, rendered over stone, forming a lobby entrance to L of centre. Open slate porch with shallow lean-to roof, inside which are double panelled doors. Small-pane casement windows, those to ground floor with segmental brick heads with dripmoulds. Three-light window to R of entrance and single light to far R. A former small window to L of porch has been infilled with stone. The upper storey has a small 4-pane window above the porch, flanked by 2-light casement windows beneath the eaves; single light to far R, not aligned with window below. Modernised farm range, partly of breeze block, adjoining E gable end. Adjoining the W end is a stone lean-to, the roof mainly missing, probably a former service unit. Visible to the W gable is an infilled window and the roof-line of the C17 house. Rear has an outshut of later date to R of centre, L of which is a single-storey lean-to. Single light to far L with iron diamond glazing; single-storey lean-to has small C20 wooden window, above which is a small-pane iron-glazed window. The outshut has an iron-glazed small-pane casement to each storey. To R-hand bay is an inset 3-light wooden window, said to be mullioned, with large timber lintel.

Interior

No access to interior at time of inspection.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good regional sub-medieval farmhouse with lobby-entry plan-form, with earlier origins as a cruck-framed hall-house, and of interest for the transition from timber to stone construction.