One of Four Linked Outbuildings forming Courtyard at Llanfair

This is a large estate farm courtyard, built in the 18th and 19th centuries for the Thomas family of Llanfair. The courtyard is composed of four linked outbuildings arranged around a four-sided space, alongside estate houses. The buildings are primarily constructed of rubble stone with slate roofs, and are largely two-storey in height.

The east range is dated 1797 and 1847, while the north range’s roofline is even with a hipped angle at the outer northeast corner. The interior of the east range has been opened up to the roof. Features include camber-headed doors and small windows, all with stone voussoirs, the presence of an upper loading door towards the south end, and a concrete block lean-to against the centre. An arched cartshed entry is located at the north end. The north range has two similar cart entries with windows above, a tall barn entry with a cambered arch, and then four well-spaced bays with alternate doors and windows below, three windows and a loading door above. The barn contains a nine-bay collar truss roof and is lofted for four bays. The roofs of the north and east ranges are similar, suggesting a single construction around 1847.

The west range, also appearing to date to the mid 19th century, consists of a lower two-storey outbuilding connected to a larger block of two-storey estate housing. The outbuildings incorporate four bays of pig-sties, an enclosed section, and a cartshed arch in the northwestern angle. The house range originally comprised three two-window houses with close-spaced arched windows and doors, ashlar voussoirs, one door now converted into a window, and then two broader bays to the left with arched cart-entries below and similar windows above. These cart entries are now glazed. The windows are small-paned narrow casements with single-pane fanlights. A single stone stack is present.

An adjoining, gabled stone gateway with dove-holes, a large ashlar arch, and wrought iron gates is situated to the south, aligned with a similar entrance gateway at the southeast angle of the courtyard.

The single-storey south range demonstrates two distinct periods of construction. The upper section, featuring six stone-voussoir arches, has a straight joint at the west end and older pegged collar trusses. Two arches have been blocked. An attached southeast gabled entry leads into the courtyard, with an arched opening and coped gable linked to square stone stacks on either side. Original gates have been preserved on the end wall of the east range. The south range continues west with an arched window (brick-arched), a tall arched door, an arched cart-entry, and two small doors, all with stone voussoirs. This range appears to have originally served as a stable, loose-box, coach-house, and tack-room.

The courtyard is of considerable size and was marked in its final form on an 1891 Ordnance Survey map, with earlier depictions appearing on circa 1840 and 1845 estate plans held at the National Library of Wales. The estate farm courtyard has group value with the main house at Llanfair.