Ty'n Llwyn Farm - Bothy and Bakehouse Range to NE of Yard

Cadw's description

Location

1km NW of village of Pentir, on S side of lane from Pentir towards Y Felinheli. The farm comprises a large rectangular enclosed yard, with the house backing on to its NE corner to face E. This range lies E of main entrance to yard, and adjoins house to E

History

Ty'n llwyn was a farm on the Vaenol estate of Thomas Assheton Smith. Map evidence suggests that a small early farm (in existence by c1780) was replaced by a larger scale farmstead between c1820 and c1830, though perhaps reconstructed as a model farmstead by its most notable tenant, John Owen. The farmhouse and a barn at the SW of the site appear to occupy the site of the earlier buildings, but the architectural evidence suggests that the farm was essentially laid out as a new model holding. In 1853, the tenancy was taken on by John Owen who farmed here until 1868: in that year, he was evicted for his Liberal political convictions, which placed him at odds with the Toryism of his landlord. John Owen was a methodist preacher and a pioneering farmer and writer on agriculture. He invested considerably in the improvement of the land at Ty'n llwyn. His interest in Welsh Black Cattle is possibly reflected in the design of this farm, which is laid out as a specialist stock-raising establishment.

Exterior

The farm comprises a large rectangular enclosed yard, with the house backing on to its NE corner to face E. This range lies to the E of the main entrance to the yard, and adjoins the house to the E. East of the main entrance to the yard, is a range including the Bothy and Bakehouse. Single storeyed, quarry dressed rubble in large blocks with smaller infill, and characteristic coarse mortared joints. Roof of large slates with single ridge stack towards right hand end. Sawn slate lintels to openings. The bakehouse is at the right hand end of the range, and was once accessed from the house, which it directly adjoins. Its two doors are modern, beneath dormer gables: ridge stack defines limit of the bakehouse, left of which is the former bothy, with doorway to the right, and window (modern glazing in earlier opening) to the left. Left of this, a narrower unit also has doorway to right, with window alongside. Beyond again, double plank doors, then a further unit with doorway to right and window to left, at the left hand end of the range. These windows retain the original detail, comprising a single upper pane over a slatted glazed lower section. Dark red paint may be an estate feature.

Interior

Bakehouse is limewashed internally, and has large fireplace with remains of oven. Bothy alongside it also retains limewash, and small fireplace, protected from the doorway by a plank partition.

Reason for designation

Included as an integral part of a exceptionally complete large-scale planned farmstead, retaining good estate character.