Cow-house at Cwm Biga

The cow-house at Cwm Biga is a long, six-door structure made of random stone and topped with a renewed slate roof. It features a stone plinth, and some doorways are accessed by steps. The doorways vary in size and have split doors; there are three timber lintels, two concrete lintels, and a slate lintel at the right end. Above the second, fourth, and sixth doorways from the left, there are boarded loft hatches. Attached to the east gable end is a lean-to made of random stone with a single doorway, and the gable above is covered in slate. The southwest angle has breeze block quoins, and there is a barn adjoining the west gable end, which is slightly set back. The rear of the building, partly visible, has ventilation slits.

Inside, the cow-house contains two double cow-bays alternating with hay sheds, along with a stable at the left end and a calf-pen at the right end. The stable, which was used for working horses, has three stalls arranged at right angles, complete with a manger and hayrack; these features were reconstructed in the late 20th century. The original cobble floor remains, and a tie-beam truss has been partly reconstructed. The second doorway from the left leads into a hay shed, while the third doorway opens into a double cow-bay with a central manure passage. This cow-bay had rows of cattle aligned back-to-back, with six cattle in each row, and the mangers are still present. There are no feed passages, as the cattle were fed from the hay sheds. The floors are made of cobbled stone, with the manure passage slightly lowered and edged with timber. The ceiling features a roughly sawn cross-beam and plain joists. The fourth doorway leads into another hay shed with hayracks on the left side, while the fifth doorway leads into a double cow-bay similar to the third. The sixth doorway opens into a third hay shed that had calf-pens on the right end, which were later moved to the lean-to. This bay is open to the roof, with a reused tie-beam truss that shows unmatched carpenter's marks and peg holes; it is believed to have originally been infilled with wattle and daub. The other tie-beam trusses are not visible but are said to include reused timbers, including parts of cruck blades.