Rhiwson Uchaf house-and-byre

Rhiwson Uchaf is a farmhouse with a byre, dating back to the 17th century, retaining substantial original fabric and exhibiting a group value as a significant example of vernacular architecture. The building is constructed of whitewashed rubble stone with corrugated iron roofs over thatch, and has roughcast stone end stacks, the southern stack being larger. The house is a two-storey, long range facing north, with irregular window placement, and lacking an external front door. A lower byre adjoins the south side, situated downhill.

The west front, facing the field, has a small first-floor window with 16 panes, and a circa-1900 four-pane sash window with a slate sill. A blocked window is visible between them. The ground floor features two large windows, also circa-1900, currently missing the sashes but retaining slate sills, alongside a narrow, circa-1900, four-pane horned sash. These windows are all topped with oak lintels. The east front, facing the yard, has a small fireplace window on the left side, and two circa-1900 four-pane horned sash windows on the first floor centre and right. A two-light, unglazed dairy window sits on the ground floor to the right of centre, also with an oak lintel and slate sill. A lean-to addition extends from the north end, incorporating a stone wall on the west side and timber framing with a zinc roof elsewhere.

The byre features a through passage adjoining the south end of the house. Four doors with timber lintels are located on the east side, and one serves the through passage only on the west side. A loft window is present at the south end of the byre, with a blocked door below. Access to the house is via a ledged door within an oak frame, located in the through passage.

The interior of the main house comprises three rooms. The kitchen is situated downhill, with a later 19th-century partition creating a dairy to the east, and an upper-end parlour. Above, the upper floor features four heavy, chamfered floor beams with chamfered oak joists and broad oak floorboards. The kitchen contains a very large fireplace with an approximate four-metre heavy oak lintel. The staircase runs against the west wall, returning to the landing, with simple newels and stick balusters. The dairy incorporates slate shallow trays supported by whitewashed rubble, while the parlour has a 19th-century partition and an iron grate to the fireplace, along with two small cupboard recesses in the north wall. Extensive traces of freehand wall-paintings in black and yellow line are visible on the walls, likely dating back to the 17th century. A main beam displays a forked east end. The loft is supported by four fine oak scarfed cruck trusses with double purlins, both oak, and closely-laid stick rafters carrying a gorse underthatch. Two partitions are present, constructed with broad vertical boarding. A fireplace is located in the north end of the loft.

The byre roof is supported by four oak soffit-pegged scarfed cruck trusses with high pegged collars and two heavy oak beams that formed the former loft floor. The roof covering is gorse underthatch on closely-laid vertical sticks.