Ty Gwyn

Ty Gwyn

This is a two-storey building of two units with a two-span rear wing, dating from the medieval or early modern period with significant 17th-century additions. The main front range is timber-framed on a stone plinth, with two tiers of large panels and angle braces to the upper storey. The gable ends and rear are constructed of large blocks of coursed stone, while the rear wing is of rubble stone. The building is roofed in slate with stone end stacks featuring corbelled brick caps; a similar stack rises to the left gable of the rear wing.

The entrance is positioned offset to the right of centre, with a gabled timber-framed porch under a slate roof. The entrance contains a segmental ogee-arched opening with late 20th-century double boarded doors incorporating quarry lights. The front windows are replaced wooden casements with quarries. The ground floor displays a large four-light transomed window to the left and a three-light casement immediately to the right of the entrance. To the far left is a stone section forming part of the north end wall, which contains the fireplace staircase with a very small stairlight. The first floor has three-light casements to left and right immediately under the eaves, with a small light over the porch between them.

Many rear windows are replaced wooden casements with plain glazing, some mullioned. The north gable end has a stairlight to the right at mid-level and a wooden two-light window to the left of the upper storey, probably late 20th-century. To the rear, right of the wing, is an early stone ovolo-moulded mullioned two-light window at ground floor level with a small light to its right and a two-light casement to the upper storey. Left of the rear wing is a three-light wooden casement below which is a late 20th-century kitchen lean-to with a window band and two large skylights. The south gable end has a small two-light casement to the attic offset to the left. A late 20th-century lean-to adjoins to the right at ground floor level with a glazed door to the south end and a window facing west.

The two-span rear wing is lower than the main range. The left-hand gable end features round windows in stone surrounds flanking the stack to each storey, the lower ones moulded. Its south side has stone ovolo-moulded two-light mullioned windows on each floor, the lower window now concealed by the later kitchen extension. The right-hand gable end also has a stone ovolo-moulded window in the upper storey. The north elevation displays a three-light transomed window with a small two-light casement to its right on the ground floor, and a three-light casement above.

Adjoining the south end of the late 20th-century kitchen lean-to is a gabled range, possibly a former bakehouse. This is of stone under a slate roof with a brick end stack to the east; the east end sits on boulder footings. A raised doorway with a glazed door stands under a gabled half-dormer on the south side. Late 20th-century wooden casements are present, those to the west end set under segmental brick heads, with skylights to the roof pitch. A modern garage adjoins to the southwest.

Interior

The hall features opposed doorways with a timber-framed passage partition containing twin doorways with shaped heads. The jamb of the front doorway retains an original timber snib. A chamfered cross beam is supported on a projecting post in the rear wall, with chamfered joists throughout. The stone fireplace wall incorporates a mural stair in the north corner. A steeply cambered bressumer to the fireplace has ogee stops to the chamfer. The tie-beam immediately in front of the chimney displays mortices and stave-holes suggesting an earlier timber-framed wall on this alignment. The chamfer is stopped at intervals, roughly corresponding to the entrance to the staircase and to either side of a stone corbel which supports it over the fireplace. The position of a 19th-century staircase is indicated by disturbance of the ceiling framing in the northeast corner. A possible early window is framed into the east wall.

Beyond the partition lies a parlour, thought to have been fashioned from two original service rooms. The ceiling framing treats this as a single room with an uninterrupted chamfer to the cross-beam and chamfered joists throughout, though a single slot in the cross-beam may mark the position of a former partition. The fireplace features a cambered bressumer with ogee stops to the chamfer. To the east, the room is cut into by a narrow staircase housed behind a framed wall with a mullioned window, accessed from the 17th-century wing.

The chamber over the hall has a fine open roof comprising two bays with a central open collar-beam truss featuring conspicuous pegging and stop-chamfered principals with three tiers of purlins. The south wall has a tie-beam with a central post and raking struts below the collar. A similar truss to the north stands against the stone chimney wall, with evidence for framing below the tie-beam.

The 17th-century rear range comprises two parallel wings, that to the north with a chimney. Heavy timber ceilings feature chamfered cross-beams and joists with chamfered timber lintels over stone mullioned windows on each floor in the north wing. Collar truss roofs have chamfered principals, two purlins, and display-pegging. The north wing has a 19th-century fireplace to the ground floor with domed brick bread-ovens to either side.