The Great House including attached Cowhouse

Cadw's description

Location

Lies on the south side of the A44 Kington to Rhayader Road, 100m south of the parish church of St Michael.

Exterior

C15 with later alterations and extensions. T-plan, one and a half storeys. Central, single-pile range with two large roof dormers, wing at west end and adjoining colour washed cowhouse at east end. Random rubble under overall slate roof. Brick stacks to left end of house and front gable end of wing. C19 cross-pattern windows with large-pane casements, modern conservatory porch.

Interior

Incorporates remains of late medieval open hall-house. Two complete cruck-truss uppers and the cut-down portion of a further truss are visible in the roof space. They are of huge section and heavily smoke-blackened and probably framed the two bays of the hall. The cruck building was later subdivided with scroll-stopped ceiling beams and a large rubble stack was inserted, perhaps into a cross-passage. A rough rubble wall now blocks the former space at the south end of the stack which once led into the lower end bay. From the outer side of the blocking wall (visible in the cowhouse) it is possible to see exposed chamfered and stopped ceiling joists and part of a chamfered and stopped bressumer beam, and, below the beam, a large oak door frame with chamfer and mason's mitre jointing. This is an early door-frame, but as there are no mortices on the sides it appears to be associated with the insertion of the rubble stack which abuts on one side and also (probably) the rebuilding of the house walls in stone. The room it once led to has been obliterated by the building of the present cowhouse which is much later in date and incorporates a variety of re-used ceiling and roof timbers. The upper end bay of the cruck house was rebuilt as a cross-wing. It has scroll-stop beams and some exposed joists of rougher character. The gable end fireplace had until recent years the date 1716 carved on it.