Hendre

Location

Located on the S bank of the River Wye, and reached by a track which leads S from the A44 at Llanifyny.

History

A 2-unit lobby-entry house with early-C17 internal detail. The exterior walls are of stone; they may have been timber-framed originally, but there is no evidence for this. The house was remodelled in the C19 when the roof was raised; a date of 1850 has been found on a King-post truss. A machinery shed was built onto the L end, possibly at this time. Adjoining the R end is a lower unit, which was used as a bake-house & wash-house. A weather-boarded farm building joined this originally but is now lost. Census returns for 1851 show that the house was occupied by David Evans and family; a photo of c1900 shows the house with the same arrangement of openings as today. By the mid-C20 the house was uninhabited and derelict, but it was restored c2000.

Exterior

A 2-storey 2-window house with lobby-entrance to R end, constructed of white-washed rubble stone under an old slate roof with stone end stacks. The entrance contains a boarded door with small light under an open gabled porch, constructed of slates and reused timbers. New small-pane wooden windows with casements and fan-lights were inserted c2000, the number of lights matching those in the photo of c1900. The windows are 2-light to L and 3-light to R, those to lower storey with lintels of reused timber, those to upper storey immediately under the eaves. The rear elevation is also 2-window, with 2-light windows to L and 3-light windows to R.

Single-storey unit adjoining R end with no butt joint. It has a 2-light window to front, and also to rear. To gable end is a glazed door at loft level leading out to an iron balcony; slate tablet to gable apex, reading 'Hendre' and possibly a date. Unit adjoining L end is now a garage with large boarded double doors to front; no openings to rear; perspex lean-to against E end.

Interior

The lobby-entrance leads into the hall which has a large stone fireplace with slightly cambered timber lintel. Winding timber staircase on its L side with moulded handrail which projects over a tapering newel post; the balusters are probably renewed. Opposite the fireplace is a post-and-panel partition with bead and reed mouldings to the edges of the posts; boarded door on its L side. Ceiling has 2 medium-chamfered spine beams with ogee stops; flagstone floor. The partition doorway leads into the kitchen, originally parlour and dairy. The parlour had a smaller fireplace, now blocked by a cooker, and has plain joists to the ceiling. The former bakehouse, to the R of the entrance, is now a shower room. The upper storey is ceiled and the roof beams are not visible; good boarded oak doors.

Reason for designation

Listed as a regional sub-medieval farmhouse in an upland location which retains good C17 carpentry detail to the interior, notwithstanding some alteration to the exterior.