Llwyn-celyn Farmhouse, Crucorney (Crucornau Fawr), Monmouthshire

History

This is a late medieval open hall with a storeyed end and an attached solar block at right angles which was also originally open to the roof. These all date from c1480-1500, and retain their smoke blackened roofs complete. Floors were introduced into both hall and solar in the C17 and a main stack inserted into the hall, backing onto the screens-passage. The solar block was given two fireplaces and chimneys on the rear wall. The outhouse at the rear may have been a detached kitchen or a dower house. This was converted for other use and later joined to the main house, and the granary wing was built behind the hall block. All these changes were in the C19 probably by the Llanthony Estate during the ownership of Walter Savage Landor (1809-1864), when most of the metal windows were also added. There have been almost no changes in the last hundred years. Of all the surviving medieval stone houses in Monmouthshire Peter Smith regards Llwyn-celyn as the most remarkable and confirms that "this very fine medieval hall-house survives complete".

The High Table was recorded in the house in 1906 by Bradney. It is oak, 13' long and dated 1690. It is now in Llanthony Abbey House (qv Abbey Hotel) having been accepted in lieu of rent by the Llanthony Estate at some time in the early C20.

Exterior

Red sandstone rubble with stone tile roofs, apart from the attached outhouse which has corrugated metal sheeting, some remains of render and painting on the walls. Hall block with solar block at right angles to left. Two rear wings are attached to form a small courtyard. The solar block was extended by a small infill to join a detached outhouse which may have been a kitchen or a dower house. The hall block has a wing which extends to a granary, pig-pen and privy.
The hall block is built on a large battered plinth at the right hand gable. The entrance has a central doorway to the screens-passage which runs behind the stack. Windows on either side. To the left it is one-and-a-half storeys where the floor has been inserted into the hall, to the right is a full two storeys in what was always a storeyed end. The windows are all small paned metal casements, some of which are Llanthony Estate windows and some are modern. The left hand upper window is in a half dormer with a sloping roof. Rough porch with hood to door in chamfered frame. Central ridge stack and added red brick one on front slope to right. The gable end has a small casement under an oak lintel to each floor. To the left of the upper window is a projecting stone water spout. The rear elevation of the hall has a 6 6 metal casement under an oak lintel on the ground floor and similar in a gabled dormer above. To the left of this is the plank rear door to the screens-passage and a small projecting wing with a granary up a flight of steps. The end gable of this is attached to a pig pen and a privy.
The solar wing is at right angles to the hall and has a window in each floor, metal framed casements, facing into the front court. The gable end to the left has a blocked window on the ground floor. The rear elevation has paired casements with a central mullion and two stacks which have been added on either side. The other gable has a window under an oak lintel in the attic. The infill has a plain door in an otherwise blind wall and the rear elevation of this is also blind. There is a clear straight joint separating it from the outhouse. The outhouse has a gable end to the courtyard. This has a 7-light unglazed window with oak diamond mullions on the ground floor and another above, but this has been part glazed with a 2 2 casement and only two mullions remain. Plain doorway to right. This may have been a detached kitchen or it may have ben a dower house, but there is no chimney surviving to support either use.

Interior

The front door enters the cross-passage. This was the screens-passage of the medieval hall. The Hall is to the left through a plank door, this was originally open to the roof, but had a floor and chimney stack inserted in the C17. 1930's fireplace and chamfered ceiling beams with bar-and-runout stops.The bench for the High Table is still attached to the dais partition (see History). The Parlour wing survives with a parlour on the ground floor front, this has an ogee headed doorway and an inserted C17 ceiling (the insertion can clearly be recognised by the brackets in the wall supporting the lateral beams). Both beams and joists are chamfered and have bar-and-runout stops. The cellar below this room also has a main ceiling beam with runout stops. The rear service room has a particularly low inserted ceiling. The original double doors to the service rooms at the lower end survive in part in the cross-passage. One door has a remarkable double ogee head with relief decoration in the spandrels. The present lower end room is the kitchen. This is a C17 conversion from the two original service rooms which were always ceiled and has close set chamfered beams.
The staircase has early C18 turned balusters and rises behind the inserted stack. The upper floor of the hall reveals it to have been roofed with smoke blackened arched braced collar beam trusses with windbraces. The arch braces have hollow chamfers and bar stops. One of these is an aisle truss, the only one so far known in Monmouthshire, see Peter Smith. Three bay roof with the fourth bay over the screens-passage. The stack is inserted in the third bay so the fourth bay remains as a dead area where the smoke blackened roof is still clearly visible. The aisle truss is the one immediately behind the inserted stack. The roof over the parlour wing is reported to be similar by the RCAHMW (see references) but was not seen at resurvey (May 1997). The roof over the lower end is principal rafter with trenched purlins. This room has a timber framed partition with blocked central doorway over the screens-passage partition.
The interior of the dower house/outside kitchen was not available for inspection. It could be seen to have a principal rafter roof with collars.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade I as an exceptionally rare and important surviving medieval house with fine C17 improvements and few alterations since.

External Links

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