Farmyard buildings at Trephilip

The farmyard buildings form a square layout, accessed from the south, encompassing a barn and cowhouse on the south side, a second range of barn and cowhousing to the east, a barn with a lean-to shed on the north side, extending west and returning along the west side with cow shelters. The buildings on the south and north sides largely date from the 18th and early 19th centuries, with later, mid-to-late 19th century additions on the east side to provide duplicated accommodation. The earlier buildings are constructed of local rubble stone with slate roofs, while the 19th century buildings are similar but feature red and blue brick dressings.

The south range consists of a five-bay barn with opposing cart doors and a single tier of vent slits, with two tiers at the south end. Inside, tie and collar beam trusses support three tiers of trenched purlins. Collars are tenoned, and principals are tenoned into the tie without pegs. The range continues west as a five-bay cowhouse with transverse stalls and feeding walks, supplied by drops from the hay store on the upper floor. The roof has similar tie and collar beam trusses with three tiers of purlins. Further west is a bull pen with a lean-to stone-slated roof supported on two pairs of raised, quasi-crucks, which are chamfered on the lower arris and pegged at the apex.

The east side incorporates a sixteen-stall cowhouse with feeding walks, and a single-story hay barn featuring four square pitching openings with red and blue brick dressings. At the south end, facing the farmhouse, is a mid-to-late 19th century, two-cell carthouse with a granary above; the roof uses lapped bolted collars, with principals supported on stub ties set into 56cm stone walls. At the north end, a 19th century barn with a lapped purlin roof extends westward, including a winnowing floor and opposed doors. The corner bay is linked to an attached engine house on the north side. The north range continues beyond the winnowing floor as an 18th to early 19th century four-bay barn with four pitching holes on each side, the south face covered with a lean-to shed. The pitching holes on the north side retain heavy timber frames dividing the openings into two lights. The open-fronted cow shelters on the north and west sides are stone built, with the fronts now enclosed by blockwork. Boarded doors are present throughout, some with original ironmongery by J. Jones, Pontybat. The only machinery present is a belt-driven root cutter.

The farmyard is included as an interesting group of well-preserved buildings associated with Trephilip farmhouse, reflecting the farm’s development from the 18th century.