Cowsheds at Coed-y-dinas

History: Coed-y-dinas was a home-farm of the Powis Estate by the mid C19 and was renamed 'The Earl of Powis's Model Farm' when plans for rebuilding it were put forward in 1862 and 1870. Although the scheme was never developed in its entirety, a substantial part of it was constructed in 1872. The cowsheds appear to be part of this late C19 redevelopment of the farm, although they have been remodelled more recently.

Exterior: The cowsheds comprise 2 single storeyed ranges at right-angles to each other. Much of the exterior walling has been reconstructed, but the W elevation retains its original detail with a single central round-headed doorway flanked by 6 slatted windows with flat brick heads, and with a further door at each end. Slate roofs with vents to E range; corrugated sheet to the louvred W range. The building is linked to the barn and granary range by a continuation of the higher roof- line over the louvre on the E range, thus forming a covered entrance to the farmyard.

Interior: The original layouts have been modified in adapting to modern farming requirements, but the original structure remains partially intact, with wide-span braced king-post trusses defining 10 bays in the W range, and 13 to the S.

The buildings form part of the ensemble of structures at the farm, which is an impressive example of late C19 model-farm architecture.

Reference: Stephen Hughes, The Archaeology of the Montgomeryshire Canal, 1988, pp.50-54.