Cwmyrychen

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 3km WNW of Pant-y-dwr, on the E side of a minor road on the W side of the B4518 at Pant-y-dwr.

History

An C18 double-depth house, originally with a timber-framed front. An earlier cruck-framed house was converted to a barn. The present house is shown on the 1839 Tithe map.

Exterior

A 2½-storey house of whitened rubble-stone walls, slate roof and stone end stacks. Openings are offset to the R side. The entrance has a half-glazed door inside an added half-glazed porch. It is flanked by stone segmental-headed small-pane cross windows. The upper storey has 3 iron-framed windows beneath the eaves. In the L gable end is a stone mounting block. In the R gable end is a segmental-headed window to the upper R, incorporating an iron-framed casement. The rear has added skylights and a C19 added outshut. On the L side of the outshut is a replacement 2-light window in an earlier stone segmental-headed opening. On the R side is a pivoting porthole window in the lower storey and 2-light window above it.

Interior

The house has a double-depth plan and central stair hall retaining full-height timber-framed partitions with numerous well-preserved carpenters' marks. The open-well stair has newels of rectangular section. The room to the L of the entrance has a large fireplace with segmental timber lintel. Part of the original timber-framed partition between the main and 2 rear service rooms has also survived. In the room to the R of the entrance is a spine beam with ogee stops. The partition between this room and the dairy behind it has survived, but access is through a boarded door in the stair hall. The dairy retains C19 red and black tiles. In the attic are 3 unequally-placed trusses with collar beams and raking struts.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as an C18 house still in the vernacular tradition, of definite character and retaining good interior plan form and detail.