Rhydfelin

Cadw's description

Location

On the east side of a minor road off the B4342 Llanarth to Mydroilyn road, approximately 2km SE of the village of Llanarth.

History

Constructed in the mid C19 as a pair of simple vernacular cottages with thatch roof cover. First shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1890 they were probably related to the stonework remains of a building opposite which are possibly the remains of a mill. A structure in the location of the stonework remains is shown on the 1839 Tithe map although the 1890 map refers to this building as Bakehouse Cottage.

The cottages have been used as a holiday cottage from the 1960's and were converted to form one dwelling at that time. The original thatch had by the mid C20th been covered with corrugated tin. The thatch was removed and the tin retained.

Exterior

Pair of cottages. Whitewashed rubble stone with corrugated sheet roof, timber boarded doors and four-light casement windows, timber lintels and rough stone cills. Single storey long range along the road-side. Both cottages have a central door with single small windows to either side. Further lean-to extension to left with similar window and corrugated roof.

Interior

Both cottages originally divided by a central party wall but now linked by connecting doorway. Left hand side cottage with crogloft to left of door and further floor inserted to right. Later modern stair directly in front of door and modern partitioning under the crogloft. 3 roof trusses with tie beams and purlins all of halved rough timbers. Wattle firehood against the party wall resting on a rough timber cross beam. Right hand side has later crogloft to left with partitioning under which again is presumably a later insertion but of traditional wide adzed softwood planks. Roof structure as before.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a rare surviving example of a pair of vernacular cottages retaining important characteristics such as the roof structure and firehood, a building type once common in west Wales but now increasingly rare.