Y Lasynys Fawr including Brewhouse Block and Revettment Wall

Y Lasynys Fawr including Brewhouse Block and Revettment Wall

This is a sub-medieval storeyed house of irregular plan, consisting of a primary L-shaped range with a 2-bay early 18th-century addition to the south-west, and a 19th-century brewhouse block adjoining to the north-east. The building is constructed from local rubble (formerly with external render) and has a renewed slate roof, partly hipped, with four gable end chimneys featuring plain banding and capping.

The house is positioned against a rock outcrop to the north-west, with the principal accommodation arranged on the first floor, which functions effectively as a raised ground floor. Access to this main floor is from a narrow revetted forecourt to the north-east; the basement floor is accessed from the south-east side. The primary block rises to two-and-a-half storeys, though it is only one-and-a-half storeys on the revetted south-west side, whilst the later parlour wing is of two storeys.

The principal south-east elevation has an entrance to the left of the broad gable end of the primary block, featuring a modern boarded door and rectangular overlight. To the right of the entrance is a mounted slate plaque commemorating an earlier restoration and opening in 1922. A 16-pane unhorned sash sits to the right (a modern replacement), with evidence of an earlier, blocked window to its right, presumed to be primary. The first floor has a narrow 12-pane sash to the left and a small closet light to the right; 6-pane and 12-pane sashes light the attic floor to the left and right respectively. The adjoining parlour block is advanced slightly to the left, with 16-pane windows to both floors (modern copies). The north-east elevation of the original block has a boarded door to the main section with 12-pane sashes to the left and above, the latter contained within a gabled dormer. Advanced to the right is a short gabled projecting primary wing featuring small 4-pane late-Victorian style windows to ground and attic floors. On the south-west side, the primary range has single 2-light mullioned leaded windows to each of the basement, first and attic floors, the latter within a broad gabled dormer; modern mullions and jambs have replaced the originals. Similar leaded windows appear to the rear of the parlour wing on both floors.

The single-storey former brewhouse block adjoins the primary block, advanced at the eastern corner, constructed as the main house. It was enlarged substantially during recent restoration; it was formerly an end chimney building, now with a central chimney. Paired boarded doors occupy the centre of the long south-east side with a single boarded door to the south-west gable; a 4-pane window sits beyond. Similar doors and windows serve the north-east gable (serving modern WCs). A rebuilt revettment of slate rubble adjoins this block to the north-east, defining the raised forecourt.

The interior reveals that main accommodation was arranged on the first floor from the outset, with services relegated to the basement. A narrow entrance passage to the basement has late 19th-century pine 4-panel doors to right and left, with old slate-flagged floors throughout this level. A room off to the left, below the parlour, has an open fireplace with a crude bressummer and a lateral ceiling beam, formerly plastered. At the end of the passage is a modern post-and-panel partition, with an inserted out-of-character modern oak stair with turned balusters leading to a former bed chamber on the principal floor. This chamber contains a built-in early 18th-century oak cupboard of two doors, featuring 2-panel fielded doors with arched upper panels having moulded detail and scrolled keys. Within the cupboard is a hinged truckle bed which pulls down to form a fold-away bed, appearing to be 17th-century and adapted to the cupboard, perhaps in the 18th century. A small section of small-field oak panelling survives on one wall; modern out-of-character pine panelling covers elsewhere.

The first floor parlour displays fine large-field panelling with fielded panels, a moulded dado and heavy moulded dentilated cornice; fluted pilasters flank the fireplace and openings. Two panelled window seats feature unusual shaped sill crestings. The fireplace has a modern surround with fluted pilasters. To the left is an arched recess within 6-panel cupboard doors containing three decorative and one plain shelf with fluted flanking pilasters; the archivolt features a key and original painted spandrels depicting winged angel heads in black and gold. Opposite the fireplace stands a large built-in panelled cupboard. An exposed lateral ceiling beam, originally plastered, runs above, with modern textured ceiling plaster applied. Leading from the parlour is a straight-flight stair with an original moulded rail and one S-shaped flat baluster to the right; to the left is a largely replaced turned oak balustrade, apparently ex situ, with a modern balustrade copying this on the upper floor.

A 6-panel door leads from the parlour to a small closet, probably originally a wig closet, with similar stripped large-field pine panelling and a left-hand cupboard with shelving. Beyond this is a small room with fragmentary panelling to one wall and an associated segmentally arched entrance with fluted flanking pilasters. Exposed rubble walls, formerly rendered, contain a fireplace and high keyed bressummer. Further modern panelling and a modern part-boarded/part-slated floor occupy this space. A further wide fireplace with bressummer stands in the former hall; to its right is a part-stone dogleg stair accessing the attic floor, displaying stopped-chamfered detail to its newel and lintel, now restored. The upper floor has two raised cruck trusses to the central primary wing and a section of post-and-panel partition inserted below another truss. Out-of-character modern pine doors and architraves, modern floors and textured ceiling plaster appear throughout, with exposed steel reinforcing beams across the entire upper floor.