Former Farmhouse and Buildings at Llanbrynean Farm

Former Farmhouse and Buildings at Llanbrynean Farm

This Grade II listed site comprises a farmhouse on the eastern side with an enclosing range of farm buildings attached to its south-west corner and extending to the rear and side. The buildings are constructed in random rubble stone with slate roofs, timber casement and metal windows, and are generally two storeys in height.

Cowshed

The cowshed occupies the southern side of the farmyard. It is a largely open-plan lofted structure converted for use as a milking parlour. The long stone elevation facing the yard contains four evenly arranged windows, with the two central windows grouped closer together. These have louvered upper parts with three vertical lights below, except for the left window which is fully glazed. The rear elevation has two boarded loft doors and three doorways below with two inserted wide windows between them. The roof covering has been renewed. An open-fronted single-storey shed connects to the north-east corner of the farmhouse. A single-storey lean-to pig sty is attached to the south-east corner, alongside a pitched hen house and store range.

Interior: The cowshed is lofted almost fully as an open space, with the ground floor converted for milking with a concrete floor. A later dividing wall at the eastern end creates a separate room with a stall. Partly original floor structure survives on the first floor, though the roof structure has been replaced.

Threshing Barn

The threshing barn range comprises two parts, with the higher section upslope to the left, partially altered but retaining its Bull Pen and power room. The roof continues the ridge of the cowshed range. An open arcade front with a pentice roof of five bays opens to the farmyard, with a wide central entrance bay flanked by dwarf-walled partly open bays, all separated by stop-chamfered stone pillars. A pitched cobbled walkway runs behind with a timber ladder to the first floor. The external elevation behind features a wide central door with sliding boarded shutters set in metal tracks to the left and a small-pane window to the right. Boarded doors are positioned at both ends of the walkway.

The lower section to the right contains the threshing barn proper, with two threshing floors on opposing axes: a main east-west floor and a secondary north-south floor. A full-height gabled barn entrance opens to the yard with low eaves continuing the pentice line, a ventilation slit to the left of the barn door, a metal small-pane casement to the right, then a boarded horizontally sliding opening and a boarded door to the extreme right.

The rear elevation of the upper section has an altered opening in the southern corner, two small-pane metal windows to the left, and two windows to the right, one of which is boarded. The lower section features tall barn doors set on metal rails with a slight projecting canopy, upper and lower ventilation slits to the right, and further ventilation slits to the right with a modern leant-to structure attached. Additional barn doors face the northern elevation.

Interior: The layout has been altered at the southern end, but the cobbled floor survives. The Bull Pen remains intact with feeding troughs and sliding shutters to the courtyard side. The Mixing House, lit by small-pane metal windows on the outside and accessed by the wide pentice walkway door, has a partly stone-flagged floor and remains of a water turbine machinery installation that provided power for the farm buildings. Partial machinery and settings survive on the first floor. The barn is accessed by main yard doors to a flagged threshing floor, with a tall open space subdivided by an internal wall creating a passage and ramp to the yard side. A secondary threshing floor occupies the northern end. Low-level openings suggest former belt-driven machinery.

Cartshed and Stables

The cartshed and stables range returns stepped down from the barn but maintains two storeys. The cartshed occupies the left side with three bays, featuring three segmental cart openings on the ground floor and windows above, with a doorway to the left accessing the loft. The stables to the right have two boarded doors with a narrow window between them and a boarded loading door above, echoed on the rear elevation, with a loft window in the gable.

Interior: The cartshed retains part of its original cobbled floor with stairs to the loft, which has a timber partition with twin doors. This leads to a granary above the cartshed retaining its timber floor and concrete upstand. The masonry party wall to the barn to the west contains a stone inscribed 'JOHN BULLOCK LLOYD ESQ 1767', presumably reused. The stables retain a full set of original fittings, partitions and flooring. The stable loft was not inspected.

Farmhouse

The farmhouse is of L-plan form, with a main wing and a service wing at right angles. It is two storeys with an attic and basement, constructed of dressed and coursed rubble stone with yellow brick dressings. The slate roof is punctuated by large-pane sash windows with marginal glazing to the upper lights.

The garden entrance front of the main range is symmetrical and gabled across six bays, arranged in pairs with projecting outer bays. A narrow central bay contains a broad open timber entrance porch set on a dwarf wall. The right gable return displays a central projecting stack bearing a date stone inscribed 'DM 1883'.

Interior: The farmhouse retains its original plan form with doors, linnings, cornices, skirtings and both original stair and service stair intact. Original inbuilt kitchen cupboards survive, as does a slate bench, flag floor and other fittings in the basement.