Cefn Faes, Gellilydan

Cadw's description

Location

North of Llyn Trawsfynydd and southwest of Gelliydan, on gently sloping hillside below the treeline between Coed Penyglannau and Coed Caersaeson.

History

Farmhouse dated 1651, which was the decisive final year of the English Civil Wars. The coat of arms inscribed on the datestone indicates that the builders considered themselves members of the 15 Noble Tribes of Gwynedd, specifically descendants of Llywarch ap Bran of Anglesey, brother-in-law and steward to Owain Gwynedd in the 12th century. In the late fifteenth century following the Tudor victory at Bosworth the entire landed gentry of northwest Wales reported themselves as descendants of one of 15 significant pre-English-conquest Welsh leaders and adopted coats of arms largely provided by the poet Lewys Glyn Cothi.

In 1979 Peter Smith of the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales identified the middle chimney behind this datestone as the principal one associated with the original hall hearth (which has not survived) and classed Cefn Faes as a Type ‘B’ with chimney backing on the entry and a cross-passage, a plan far more common in South Wales than North Wales. The house is an L plan with a slightly smaller and perhaps later southwest facing ‘parlour block’ interconnected with the lower west end of the main house. These ‘dual house’ arrangements have been theorised as either providing accommodation for genteel guests or enabling two adult farmers (either brothers or a father and son) to live together with a measure of independence for their immediate households whilst farming the same land.

Shown as an L-plan on the 1841 Tithe map when it was owned by John Lloyd Esquire and occupied by a Rees Lloyd. Ordnance survey map suggests the rear kitchen had been added partly enclosing the rear corner yard by 1887. Likely reroofed several times in its history most recently in 2025.

Exterior

L-shaped in plan with main range facing southeast of two stories and parlour block facing southwest of two and a half stories. Rubble stone with pitched Welsh slate roofs with a triangular hipped peak where the southeast facing range joins the slightly taller southwest facing range, with a catslide down to single storey height behind the southeast facing range. Four stone chimney stacks, one centrally placed on the main range, others at the open gables facing northeast, southwest and northwest. Modern hornless sash windows in original openings.

Main southeast facing elevation has off-centre door with datestone with heraldic shield above and 9 pane sash over. To left 12 pane sash to ground floor with 9 pane above, massive cornerstone in wall to far left. To right of door 12 pane sash at ground level and further right windows to ground and first floor, both 9 pane sashes. Datestone includes shield of arms of a single chevron with three birds, crows in the shield of Llywarch ap Bran, somewhat naively depicted and without the ermine spots held in the beaks of the crows sometimes depicted elsewhere. Initials ‘E’ above, ‘I’ on left and ‘Ll’ to right with date 1651 below.

Southwest facing elevation has blind open gable to far right, modern door just off centre to left with 12 pane sash to left. To first floor a 12 pane sash to far left, 9 pane sash over the door and another 9 pane to right of this.

Northwest facing gable is blind as is the northeast facing gable except for a single tall light in the lower portion under the catslide. In rear yard catslide roof has three rooflights into ground floor room, below which rear door with a pair of 9 pane sashes to right and 12 pane sash to right of this. Rear part of the southwest facing range is blind except for 9 pane sash to first floor in the gap between the lower catslide and the main roofpitch, which incorporates one modern rooflight, two more rooflights in the southwest facing pitch.

Stone barn to south (also shown on 1841 Tithe map), dry stone walled yards to southeast and southwest incorporating ruinous ty bach.

Interior

Well restored with early stonework in walls and old roof timbers displayed throughout. Deeply splayed window openings. Southern portion of southeast facing wing retains large stone bressummer fireplace and red and black square tiled floor. Northwest side of the cross passage opposite the front door seemingly lost in the process of adding the rear kitchen. Single step up into northeast room where original central chimney is concealed. At northeast end large timber bressummer with stone spiral stair beside, large timber chamfered beam across ceiling of this room with notches on the southwest side where there may formally have been a partition between the hall and a parlour, both with a hearth. Stone flag floors throughout much of ground floor. First floor has small timber bressummer fireplace relating to the middle chimney of the southeast facing range. Internal ground floor window and upper storey former loading doorway into the double floor height kitchen in outshut. Three steps down from kitchen outshut into the lower southwest facing range.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II for its special architectural and historic interest as a rare surviving mid-17th century farmhouse of the ‘uchelwr’ minor gentry, who expressed pride in their Welsh identity through a heraldic shield, with regionally traditional plan form well preserved.