Dolwen

Dolwen

A large U-plan house with a 2-storey 3-window central range and higher wings projecting to the front. The west wing is 4-storey including basement and attics, while the east wing is 2-storey and now used as a farm building. The building is constructed of dressed random stone with very large blocks to the lower walls of the central range and large quoins to the wings. Slate roofs and stone stacks include a massive projecting lateral stack to the west side of the west wing, an end stack to the rear of the west wing, and a ridge stack to the right of the central range. The windows are mainly 2-light wooden casements with small panes under timber lintels. The rear elevation is cut into the hillside.

The central range features a doorway to the left of centre with a segmental pointed head of narrow voussoirs and monolithic jambs, containing a boarded door with a small light. A 2-light casement stands to the right of the doorway and a 6-pane window to the left, both with slate sills and timber lintels. Three 2-light casements to the upper storey rise to the eaves. The rear of the range has a small 4-pane window to the right of the upper storey.

The front of the west wing has a basement doorway to the left of centre with split doors containing a small light and a crooked timber lintel. To its right is part of a former stone-framed window blocked with stone. The ground and first floors each have a central casement with renewed timber lintel. A smaller casement to the attic is slightly inset. The east side of the west wing has a casement to each storey, both in narrowed openings. To the west side, in the angle with the projecting lateral stack, is a first-floor garderobe of stone with a slate rooflet and hole to the base. To the left of the stack is a rendered lean-to against the kitchen. The rear gable end has two 2-light wooden stairlights, each with an ovolo-moulded mullion, offset to the left of centre. Below is a 4-pane window. To the centre of the ground floor is a 20th-century casement lighting the kitchen. A wide casement lighting the attic is slightly left of centre.

The front of the east wing has a central doorway containing split doors, which appears to replace a former window opening set slightly higher. A 20th-century 2-light casement above the doorway has some panes missing, with a string course beneath the window. No openings exist to the west side of the east wing. The east side has renewed masonry to the left with a wide opening. To the right of centre is a slightly raised doorway with a loft hatch to the far right, beneath which are butt joints possibly relating to a former external staircase. The rear gable end of the east wing is slightly advanced and has garage doors with a loft hatch above.

The central part of the house formerly had a passageway inside the front entrance. The partition is now missing, but a timber ceiling beam with sockets and an arched door-head mark its position at the far end. There were two service rooms with a spine beam marking the position of the dividing partition. The ceiling has stop-chamfered joists. Box-framing is present to the west wall, and basement stairs to the southwest corner have tile treads. Inside the front entrance, a plastered wall to the right contains a doorway to the hall, which has a stone fireplace with a large chamfered timber lintel. To its right is a small recessed cupboard with a wooden door carved with a rose. The ceiling has chamfered spine and cross beams with stop-chamfered joists.

A parlour to the front of the west wing retains 17th-century wooden panelling to the rear wall, with a ceiling of two large chamfered cross-beams with ogee stops. A wide stone fireplace has a narrow chamfered timber lintel, and window seats are present. The kitchen is now to the rear of the west wing with a deeply chamfered spine beam with ogee stops and plain joists. A box-framed partition to the east contains a planked door leading to a short passage to the staircase at the rear. A 17th-century plain dog-leg staircase with wide oak treads is fitted with later wooden gates to the base. The kitchen was previously in the basement, reached from the central range or outside via stone steps leading down to a flagstone floor. A very large fireplace with a timber lintel to the west side has a bake-oven inserted under part of it. The ceiling has two large cross-beams and plain joists. The interior of the east wing has box-framed partitions. The front previously contained stables with fittings for hayracks against the north wall.