Cae Saer

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the centre of Glaspwll, on the E side of a minor road leading from Machynlleth, and on the N side of the Llyfnant valley.

History

C18 house; said to have been built for Thomas Morgan, a local businessman in c1750. Shown in its current form on the Tithe map of 1845. The porch was remodelled later, probably in the late C19-early C20. The farm was acquired by the Garthgwynion estate in the early-mid C20.

Exterior

Two-storey 4-window house of white-washed rubble stone under a slate roof with large stone end stacks; decorative openwork barge boards to gables; the house has irregular casement windows and sashes under timber lintels. Adjoining the R end is a single-unit outbuilding, and to the rear, a large wing comprising 2 parallel ranges of one-and-a-half storeys, its W side continuous with the gable end of the outbuilding.

The front has a 2-storey half-timbered gabled porch 2nd bay from L, on an older rubble stone plinth. Elliptical archway to entrance, inside which is a boarded door with strap hinges. L-return has opening containing 3 turned balusters; blind opening to R return, also with turned balusters. The framing is of small-scantling close-studding, small box-panels, diagonal and arched braces. The upper storey is jettied on corbels, with a wooden cross-window with quarries; similar single lights to sides of porch. Gable slightly jettied on brackets with 2 arched braces, plain barge boards and finial. The main range has a 2-light casement to L of porch; tall stairlight with large panes to R of porch, R of which is a 6-pane wooden window. To far R is a pair of iron casements with quarries, 2-light to L and 3-light to R. Upper storey has a 12-pane horned sash to L of porch, and a 6-over-3-pane sash to R. The NW angle of the range is on a plinth of large boulders.

The rear of the main range is 2-window, with a canted bay to L under a hipped rooflet containing French doors with large panes, reached by stone steps. To R is a 12-pane-horned sash; similar windows to upper storey immediately under the eaves. The range is slate-hung to L of canted bay, before its junction with the rear wing. E gable end has a 12-pane sash offset to lower R.

Adjoining the R end of the house, is a lower, narrower 2-storey unit. The front has a boarded door to R and 2-light casement to L, the upper storey with a C20 metal window to L, immediately under the eaves. Gable end has a small single light offset to R of lower storey. It has an offset at 1st floor level, suggesting that the upper storey was raised later, the lower storey continuous with the rear wing.

The 2-gable rear wing has a brick ridge stack to W range and brick end stack to E range, and is whitewashed to W side. The W range has a boarded door offset to R of gable end, a small-pane window to its L and 3-light window to upper storey. Its W side has irregular C20 small-pane wooden windows, 2 to each storey. The E range is 2-window with tall C20 2-light wooden casements, those to upper storey under gabled half-dormers with plain barge boards and finials; no openings to gable end.

Interior

Interior not seen at resurvey.

Reason for designation

Listed as a large C18 vernacular farm-house retaining its historic character and detail.