Lower Trelydan Farmhouse

Lower Trelydan Farmhouse

This is a complex farmhouse of sub-medieval origin, with principal phases dating to the later 16th century and mid 17th century, followed by 18th-century improvements and a major 19th-century remodelling. The building was once known simply as Trelydan and was the home of John Gwyn, the well-known Royalist and Civil War diarist. His documented knowledge of Royal Palaces is likely to have been a direct influence on the mid 17th-century work, particularly the wall-paintings that are known to have existed.

The exterior is a two-storey square-panelled timber-framed structure. The front is rendered, with implied timberwork to the 19th-century extension. The roof is slightly undulating slate with red brick chimneys. The six-bay front has original framing exposed to the right. The entrance is now in the penultimate bay to the right, but external changes to the framing indicate there was originally a doorway immediately to the left, with internal signs of alteration in this area. Small-pane sash windows are recessed to the later section and paired to the extreme right; French windows open to the left. Stepped chimney breasts rise to the gable ends, with small-pane sashes to the left and herringbone brickwork to the right. The rear is brick-nogged; changes to the framing indicate the blocking of an arched-headed off-centre doorway in line with a blocked doorway on the front. A whitewashed brick lower cross range extends to the left with an open-sided lean-to at the rear and modern glazing to the three-window front; the doorway has panelled reveals and sits below a 16-pane sash window under a hipped dormer hood.

The interior plan has been complicated by successive 18th and 19th-century improvements. Although it now appears to be of lobby-entry type, this is made problematical by clear changes to the timberwork around this point and the apparent removal of the main chimney. This latter change is unknown elsewhere and would have been exceptionally difficult, but its likelihood is backed up by a break in the ridge beam of the roof structure. The chimney may have backed onto a cross passage, given the evidence for opposing doorways on a line to the left of the present main entrance; the fireplace would then have heated a hall to the right. An ornately moulded wall-post against the rear wall of the present drawing-room may have carried a dais partition, suggesting it was a single-bay hall. This room also retains deeply chamfered and polygonal-stopped beams crossing in the centre. There is fragmentary evidence of painted decoration, much more of which apparently once existed; the collected pieces suggest a 17th-century painted frieze of real interest, together with wall-panelling, some of which is reused. The original staircase appears to have been at the north corner; the fireplace on the gable beside it probably relates to 18th-century improvements. The main staircase, inserted to the south-west of the hall along the rear wall and dating from the same period, has turned balusters with square annulettes, tapered newels and a moulded handrail; it turns back at the top to broaden the first-floor landing. The dining-room, further to the south-west, also retains sub-medieval detail and may have been an added parlour, with chamfered broach-stop beams; a service room was formerly partitioned off to the rear. Half-timbered partitions run throughout the house; on the first floor there is an early fielded-panelled door. The pegged A-frame roof trusses have a later south-west end bay, probably 18th-century; two-tier butt purlins with straight bracing; partitions, one of which includes a canted head to its doorway; one truss has had a tie-beam and post inserted. There is a break in the ridge beam as mentioned in connection with the removed chimney.

The building is listed for its special interest as a farmhouse with sub-medieval origins, a well-preserved interior and historical associations.