Penwern is a Grade II listed building in the Powys local planning authority area, Wales. First listed on 18 January 1996. Former school.

Penwern

WRENN ID
swift-groin-bramble
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Powys
Constituency
Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP: David Chadwick (LD)
Country
Wales
Date first listed
18 January 1996
Type
Former school
Address
Penwern, Cornhill, Glasbury
OS grid reference
SO 148 405
Coordinates
52.05658, -3.24356
Source
Cadw listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Penwern is a late 17th century to early 18th century farmhouse with an attached cowhouse. The building is constructed from colourwashed rubble stone and features a slate roof. It has two storeys and an 'L'-shaped plan, with the main range extending beyond a gable stack into a long cowhouse that has a lean-to at the rear. The main entrance to the house is located near the corner of the farmyard and consists of a framed and boarded door. The ground and first floors have 2- and 3-light late 19th century or 20th century casement windows, while there is a 4-pane 19th century sash window to the left of the door, all of which are irregularly spaced. The main range includes gable stone stacks.

The rear arm of the 'L' contains a kitchen and stair at the end of a lateral passage leading from the front door. There is a blocked stair window with a drip course above it, and a boarded door in the angle that opens to the rear. The northeast elevation of the rear has similar 20th century casement windows and features a projecting block that likely contains an oven.

The attached cowhouse is not colourwashed and has a corrugated iron roof. It features a tall door positioned in a longhouse style beyond the west gable stack of the house, with no clear former connection to the house. Above this door is a pitching door, and there are four stable doors under a continuous timber lintel, spaced by three circular ventilation openings. There are also four additional pitching doors at the further end, which are now covered with weatherboarding.

Inside, the main living room has three stop-chamfered spine beams, while the eastern end room, possibly a parlour, has a chamfered cross beam with cut stops. The fireplace in this room is blocked. The stair in the rear wing features an 18th century handrail.

Local climate

Penwern receives an average of 950 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 74% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 58% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 51 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 92% of listed buildings. Of these, 29 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Granary and carthouse at Penwern farm Grade II 21 m
  2. Cae-melyn Grade II 340 m
  3. Carthouse and stable at Llach-doll farm Grade II 968 m
  4. Barn at Llach-doll Grade II 979 m
  5. Llach-doll farmhouse (Llach-dolt) (including railed and gated terrace to front) Grade II 993 m
  6. Farm building at Pen-y-waun farm Grade II 1.1 km
  7. Upper Skynlais (Sgyn-las) Farmhouse Grade II* 1.5 km
  8. Penrhos farmhouse (including farm range to right) Grade II 1.8 km
  9. Lloyney Grade II 1.9 km
  10. Glasbury Methodist Church Grade II 2.1 km