Barn at Pentre-isaf

Cadw's description

Location

Reached up a farm track off a by-road running north-east from Llanfechain. Aligned N/S, built into the slope and at right angles to the later farmhouse.

History

Identified in NMR file as the south house at Pentre-isaf, this is a mixed box-framed and cruck-framed half-timbered longhouse/hall house. The Royal Commission comments that similar buildings have been dated dendrochronologically to between mid-C15 and the early C16 and that as a house it was never converted to storeyed form, and notes the two-bay open hall with unequal bays entered by opposed doors and the surviving passage partition (feeding walk).

It was converted into a barn after construction of the present farmhouse and is now externally clad in corrugated iron. The external walls were square panelled and there are opposing doorways to the passage, broader to east; 'dormer' to west side. C17 half-timbered barn added as a wing at the south end, east side and a C19 cartshed and stable range at the north end.

Exterior

Stated in 1989 that this former farmhouse was externally clad in corrugated iron; the south wing three-bay with box frame trusses. Rubble north wing with cartshed to left and stables to right. Broad arched cart entry partly blocked red brick voussoirs and slit ventilators to loft. Attached modern brick range.

Interior

Stated in 1989 that the four-bay interior reveals the chief interest of this building. It is constructed with three box-frame trusses (tie and collar beams with queen struts) and two cruck trusses. The plan form suggests that it was a true long house with the human and animal accommodation divided by a cross passage. The hall was formed of two unequal bays; fine central cruck truss with arched braces; dais partition formerly to north end - the doorways to the inner rooms still evident. A chimney was never inserted so the timbers show smoke blackening; neither was the building ever storeyed. At the lower end are passage partitions, that to south contains a doorway on the east side; the lower byre could also be reached directly from the outside. An open panel in the south partition, never filled with wattle and daub, suggests that the passage was used for feeding.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a pre-reformation house internally unaltered by the normal changes and rebuildings of successive centuries. Group value with the house which replaced it, the present Pentre Isaf farmhouse; the two providing an interesting historical architectural contrast.