Wood Cottage

Cadw's description

Location

In an isolated position on the edge of Gregynog Great Wood, half a kilometre west of Gregynog Hall.

History

Probably late eighteenth century or even early nineteenth century, but still firmly within a regional vernacular tradition. There is evidence to suggest a successive building process, possibly the result of phased rebuilding, repair and adaptation. The building is shown as a barn in the Tregynon Tithe survey of 1842, but incorporated a dwelling by the late nineteenth century, and has changed little since.

Exterior

Small farmstead or smallholding comprising a long range with dwelling and lofted cow-house under a single roof. Slight timber-framed structure with weather-boarding on a stone and brick plinth. Brick infill to house, the boarded framing open on the cow-house. Random slate roof. Single brick external chimney against the gable wall of the dwelling.

Facing the front elevation, the dwelling is to the left: small two storeyed, two-unit plan, with off-centre boarded door flanked by small windows (variously renewed in aluminium and UPVC in original openings), the upper windows immediately beneath the eaves, and a second doorway providing independent access to the right-hand domestic room. Higher plinth to cow-house, which has a tiny window at each end of its long range, and a near-centre wide doorway. This is aligned with a narrower mucking-out door set above the higher plinth to the rear. Three boarded loading doors in the rear wall, and one in the gable end. Small modern windows in rear elevation of dwelling, and a brick and weather-boarded lean-to against its gable end.

Interior

Dwelling has small two-roomed plan, divided by a horizontal boarded wall, and with timber-framed structure partially visible in the external walls. Simple joinery including boarded doors. The structure is more fully exposed in the cow-house, in which the three principal bays are subdivided by regularly spaced posts, and braced at the angles. Queen-post truss in gable end, queen strut trusses elsewhere. The tripartite internal layout survives, with substantial remains of partitions, feeding racks, and pitched stone and brick floors.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a good example of a simple traditional rural building type, retaining original construction and a historical layout as small dwelling and cow-house which has exceptional vernacular character.