Old building East of Carswell Mediaeval House

History: The building may originally have been an independant house unrelated to the nearby Carswell Mediaeval House, or it may have been built as service accommodation for it. If it was originally a house, it may date from the time of a division of the property into two. According to Laws (1888), Carswell was two properties from as early as the late C16 and perhaps before. In his time Carswell was being farmed as one but the freehold was still held jointly by the Trustees of the Tenby Charities and by the Church of St. Mary's, Tenby. At some period, at least, the building has been a house, as there is a chimney flue in a wall, but it has also served more recently as a granary. A brick-vaulted platform adjacent to it to the S is said to have been the standing for a threshing machine.

Description: A tall building with a valuted undercroft and a large first-floor room approx. 6 m by 4.5 m. Random rubble stonework. Gabled roof running E/W [modern sheeting]. The undercroft vault is almost semicircular. The undercroft has two splayed windows and an original door, plus a non-original door in the N wall. The main floor level above the undercroft is raised above the present ground level on all sides. At the W side there is a modern fireplace but its flue, in the wall thickness, may be earlier. (Laws describes the flue as 'clearly recent'.) At some recent period an attic floor has been added at a height of about 3 m above the main floor level. Access to it was by an external flight of steps against the S wall to a landing and door and a second short flight internally. This was later disused and the door opening was blocked by the insertion of concrete blocks and a sash window of late C19 type.

Listed as a probably C16 building and for its group value with the Carswell Mediaeval House.

Reference: E Laws, Little England Beyond Wales (1888), pp.189-190.