History

The barn and earlier walled produce gardens at Hen Wrych were probably erected in the C18 to serve the house, the predecessor of Gwrych Castle and the ancient seat of the Lloyd family. Following its replacement as the seat by the newly-erected castle c1819, Hen Wrych was adapted as a home farm complex; the agricultural range, castellated rubble and further brick garden walls relate to this period and were added variously from the second-quarter to the late C19.

Exterior

Large rubble barn with semi-ruinous slate roof and stone-coped and kneelered gable parapets. Central entrances to both sides, that to the S segmentally-headed with boarded doors and that to the N a plain opening up to the eaves; above the former, a rectangular boarded loading bay. Flanking the entrances two tiers of ventilation slits, mostly blocked. Further slits to E gable, with small open oculus in the gable apex. To the L of the S entrance, a late C19 or early C20 rectangular window with cambered brick head and modern glazing. Adjoining the N side and advanced to the R is a low D-shaped rubble-walled addition with ruinous slate roof; 4 plain openings, 2 to each side.

Adjoining the barn to the S and overlapping the L side of its S face, a long single-storey, second-half C19 agricultural range. This is of local rubble with mono-pitch slate roof (partly patched with corrugated plastic). The range consists of 6 stable or stall entrances to the L with 6 cart bays to the R. Of the former, all save those to the second and sixth bays (from L) have been turned into windows in the early C20; boarded doors and unglazed mid C20 steel frames. Of the cart bays, the central two are reduced with modern brick. Opposite this range is a similar range, now ruinous.

This agricultural complex backs onto the earlier red brick garden walls which define three garden areas to the W, whilst those to N are divided by similar crenellated stone walls. The brick walls to the set back garden have had later alterations - see changes in brickwork from C18 small bricks to mid and later C19 type. The westernmost garden is almost square; the S wall has been removed and the W stone wall is buttressed. The next two gardens are trapezium shaped, the eastern of which includes a Dutch Barn, opposite the C18 stone barn. S of these is a rhomboid, red brick walled garden and behind that a further planted area bordered on the S side by a stone wall. These gardens are screened from the drive up to Gwrych Castle by trees but can be reached from it via a long straight lane; this is entered through an extraordinary castellated barbican with embattled towers to the four corners; original gates removed; the lane is boarded by a crenellated stone wall which joins the brick walls of the rhomboid garden at its junction with the westernmost walled garden; the lane continues across this garden to the gateway onto the main road.

Largely overgrown/ruinous at time of inspection (5/97).

Interior

The interior of the barn is of 5 bays with pegged oak king post trusses; stone-flagged threshing floor and later C19 plank-boarded partitioning.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a fine ensemble of castellated walls, towers, gateways and barn, as a remarkable interrelated example of ancillary structures to the house, and for Group Value with other listed items at Hen Wyrch.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29480908

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)