History

Cruck framed hall house dating from 1500-1550; only the end and centre crucks of the original open hall survive. In the early C17 this house was reconstructed; the timber framed walls were rebuilt in stone, a floor inserted in the open hall, and a separate two storey house added at right angles. This Renaissance style regional house was probably a secondary dwelling on the 'unit ' system, where two self-contained houses existing side by side on the same farmstead. An unusual feature is that both houses are linked by a shared entrance lobby. The stepped door-heads of the three entrance doorways to this lobby are similar in style to the door-head dated 1611 at Howell's House, Grosmont (formerly The Shop), suggesting that the lobby is contemporary with the Renaissance house and not a later infill.

Exterior

C16 house with C17 block attached at right angles. Rubble stone; slate roof and brick flue. SW front of C16 house is one-and-a-half storey with big off-centre gable. In gable-head is 3-light diamond mullion (former 6-light window) with dripstone and shallow sill and internal shutters. Ground floor, off-centre right, C17 entrance doorway has ornate shaped head with scrolled sides and two stepped and rounded pendants in centre; surround with double-roll moulding; plank and batten door with ornamental strap hinges. To left of doorway is a C20 4-light window, and a 2 2 2 pane casement. To right of doorway is 4 4 4 casement in chamfered wooden frame and angled dripstone. N gable has four dove nesting holes in upper gable; below is horizontal 2-light opening with internal shutters. Early C17 block is two storey. Thinly coursed rubble stone. N front has C17 angled dripstones with dropped and returned ends. On first floor is small 4-pane window in chamfered wooden frame (left) and a blocked window opening (right); and on ground floor, a 4-light sunk chamfer mullion with 2 2 2 2 panes. S garden front is rendered, first floor has C20 4 4 pane casement, and ground floor a segmental arched window with C20 2 2 casement in C17 chamfered frame. To right is S gable of C16 house, upper gable has C20 3-light window in old opening, and ground floor a 3-light diamond mullion (angle beaded) with 2 2 2 panes (former 6-light mullion). Set-back between the two houses is a fine early C17 entrance doorway with stepped head, and chamfered frame with scroll stops.

Interior

Exceptionally well-preserved interior. Principal ground-floor room of C16 house has massive chamfered ceiling beam with truncated broach stops. Broad fireplace opening has chamfered timber lintel, carved in face is small triangular headed recess. To right, stone fireplace stair rises to first floor, which is partitioned into three rooms. In the middle bay the roof timbers smoke blackened over the former open hall, and two cruck trusses survive: lower blades measure 45cm at their broadest. Both trusses have yokes and one cruck spur is visible; two tiers of purlins. Linking the C16 house to the block is a single storey porch which has three doorways with stepped door-heads and C17 plank and batten doors with strap hinges. Gable entry to block. Ground floor has chamfered ceiling beams with scroll stops. C17 plank door with strap hinges to fireplace stair. On first floor are two similar stair doors and an C18 partition. Oak baulk winding stair to attic. Attic of four bays with open trusses. To left of gable stack is a fine unglazed C17 4-light diamond mullion with roll at angles, to right of stack is a similar 3-light window; both openings are blocked externally.

Reasons for Listing

Highly graded as an exceptionally well-preserved C16 cruck framed house with attached early C17 Renaissance house, which retains unusual shared entrance lobby with rare and distinctive stepped door-heads. Group value with the listed barn, cowhouse and stable at Lower Celliau.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Lower Celliau at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17743619

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

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)