L-Plan range of outbuildings at Dolassey Farm

Cadw's description

Location

Situated to the west of Dolassey Farmhouse towards the head of a small valley, 1 km NW of Bleddfa.

History

Circa 1870-80. Specialised estate-type building for cattle rearing on a large scale. Long and short attached ranges of enclosed cattle stalling with lofts above plus an adjoining granary wing. (Stone plinth of earlier timber building lies further S and formerly completed one side of the fold yard).

Exterior

Two storey, open-fronted cowhouses of coursed irregular rock-faced masonry with mostly blue brick dressings. Slate roofs, corrugated metal to rear pitch, deep verges with scroll brackets. 14 bays to fold yard elevations with full-height partly-boarded openings, one being a slightly wider entry bay with double doors. Ground floor infill is vertical boards over timber rails, loft infill of weather boarding. Impressive, high N elevation where the ground falls away. Elevation to E of granary fronted in stone. Narrow ventilation slits and pitching doors to rear and gable elevations. Door and window openings have cambered heads in chequered brickwork. Corrugated cladding to upper gable end of short returned range on E side of yard; coursed rubble blocks with brick dressings and cambered heads.

Interior

Interior of cowhouses is divided into circa 45 stalls with wooden posts and rails, feeding passage to the rear. Sawn beams and joists to ceilings, unaltered except for E end bays which have breeze block partitions. First floor storage lofts with plain wooden C19 king-post trusses. The two storey wing has bull-pen/loose-boxes below with granary over reached by brick external steps.

Reason for designation

A scarce and well-preserved example of an unusually extensive range of specialised cattle-rearing buildings, dating from a period of remarkable (though short-lived) agricultural expansion in Wales.