Pen-y-fedw Farmhouse

Pen-y-fedw Farmhouse

This farmhouse is constructed of slobbered roughly-coursed mixed rubble, formerly rendered, with stone slate roofs. Internally, some timber-framed fabric survives. The building has developed through at least three principal phases, resulting in an L-shaped plan. The earliest phase consists of a 1-bay, 1½-storey range oriented roughly east-west, originally timber framed but subsequently rebuilt in stone. A 2-storey range of 2 unequal bays was built across its east end in what appears to have been two separate builds during the later 17th century.

The present exterior largely reflects works undertaken by the current owner since around 1980 to undo 19th-century alterations and restore the character of the 17th-century building. The east front of the main 17th-century range features a plain 19th-century doorway positioned strongly to the right, with a recently-constructed wall now enclosing its lower half. The windows have been restored: a 3-light wooden mullion-and-transom window stands to the right of the doorway, with a similar window centred in the left portion; wooden mullioned windows above these contain 3 and 2 lights to left and right respectively. Two restored 2-light dormers appear on the roof of the south bay. At the north gable stands a large extruded and stepped stone chimney-stack with a low sloped bread-oven extension at the base of its rear, and above at first-floor level is a 1-light window with a hoodmould. A 19th-century brick chimney sits on the south gable. The rear of the south bay features an inserted doorway, now serving as the main entrance, with a restored 3-light mullioned window above.

The south side of the earlier range, a single bay, has recently-inserted ground-floor openings and a large gabled dormer on the roof. Its gable wall displays a restored wooden mullion window of 3 lights at ground floor in an original opening, with an inserted 4-light window above. A low outbuilding has been attached to its northwest corner by the present owner, incorporating an old oak door relocated from its original position in the south side of the wing. The north side of the wing retains a small original 4-light window with diamond-set wooden mullions.

An important interior feature is the junction between the earlier range and the later addition, where close-studded timber-framing is exposed on both floors, with weathering evident on the east side. This indicates the wall was formerly external and suggests the entire range was once timber-framed. The ground floor here has a ceiling beam which is a re-used rail from a timber-framed wall, positioned on its side. In the main range, the north bay adjoining the rear wing contains 3 large lateral ceiling beams with deep chamfer and long bar or tongue stops, probably ex-situ in origin. A wide stone fireplace with an oak lintel inserted by the present owner occupies this space, and in the southwest corner sits a ¼-turned staircase enclosed by horizontal boarding with a boarded door of apparent 18th-century date. The south bay has 3 lateral beams similar in character to those in the north bay but with smaller chamfer and stops: one positioned centrally, one in the partition wall, and another close to the gable wall. A large brick bread-oven is built into the southeast corner. On the upper floors, the partition between the bays is of studwork. A principal-rafter roof truss in the north bay is positioned heavily off-centre, approximately 1 metre from the partition. The south bay's first floor contains 2 chamfered lateral beams, one passing across the front of the chimney breast, while the attic above contains a principal-rafter truss of high quality, probably ex-situ in origin, with plank partitioning applied to it.