History

Gentry house owned in early C17 by Roger Edwards founder of the Grammar School at Usk and the almshouses at Coed Cwnnwr. C16 long low range running E-W with tall W end parlour block with stair tower, of 1599 (dated lintel 1599 ER RE). Original part had a N side hall window replaced 1599 and window to inner room. A 4-light diamond mullion window in the gable end lit the closet by the fireplace (the flue now into the stack of the 1599 addition), the original entry was to the side either into the hall or the inner room. The 1599 block has mast-stair added on end wall of the old house serving both parts, and one-room block at right angles. It was high because of a ground-floor cider-room, a first dateable example of the feature, above was a parlour, then a bedroom, then a loft. The 1599 date (the earliest date found by Fox & Raglan), gave them a date indicator for such features as shaped door heads and reserved chamfered mullion windows. Fox & Raglan note diamond mullion windows in the original 2-room plan house and cellar of the added block. Peter Smith notes cruck and possible timber-framed walls originally, wind-braced roof, sunk-chamfer and diamond-mullion windows, ornate door heads, and diagonally-set chimneys. One door from Alltybella said to be at Church Farm, Kemeys Commander. Since listing the house has fallen into dereliction and the major part of the 1599 parlour block collapsed, how much survives inside the older range is not possible to ascertain.
Roger Edwards died 1624, his nephew Walter Williams d 1656, John Williams d c1666, Lewis Harries occupier c1670, his daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Ridley Jones family in C18.

Exterior

House, later C16 and 1599, rubble stone, formerly roughcast with slate roof. House as photographed by Fox & Raglan, had 4-storey W tower block with taller N end stair tower and clustered diagonal-shafted chimneys. The S gable end had a loft light, the E front, in angle had timber reserved chamfer mullion windows: ground floor 4-light and door, first floor 4-light, 2nd floor 4-light, all with hoodmoulds. A pair of diagonal shafts to the N end, and at right angles the gabled stair tower and a triple-shafted chimney serving the older house.
The earlier low range running E had a low 2-storey S front, brick ridge stack and a rear 5-light ovolo-moulded mullion window of 1599. There was a 4-light diamond mullion window in the gable lighting a closet. Rear roof was stone tiled.
By 2000 the entire S gable wall of the 1599 block had collapsed with much of the interior. E wall has remains of windows, rear W wall rendered with one ovolo-moulded mullion window, the stair gable to right with one timber-mullion window at upper level. N return of stair tower has door and 2-light window with dripstone below, and 2 light chamfered timber mullion window above, with hoodmould.
The earlier low wing running E, more intact, has roof of mixed asbestos, tin sheet and stone tile, brick ridge stack. W end stack raised when parlour wing was added. Rear has 5-light timber-mullion window to right and then 3-light window with top lights. A small catslide dormer adjoining. Outbuilding to same roof height to left has a blocked broad opening right, and small window under a paired casement to left.
S front has four small windows under eaves, over ground floor openings not aligned with those above. Left door (a long window in Fox & Raglan 3, plate 1) slightly left of first upper window, then door (formerly with gabled hood) under second window, then just right of third upper window, a ground floor window and door, and finally casement pair aligned with window above. Outbuilding adjoining to right has slate roof, centre square loft opening over centre door and window to right, both with brick heads. At time of survey roof was partly of asbestos sheet, partly of corrugated iron, partly of stone tile.
At S end a lower single storey outbuilding with metal sheet roof. Door to single bay stable to left, then window, door, window to 2-bay loose box to right.

Interior

Parlour block collapsed, some floor beams survive, and 2 tie-beam and collar trusses visible. Earlier range not accessible. Shaped-head door illustrated in Fox & Raglan, 3, Fig.3, not seen.

Reasons for Listing

Listed despite condition as an exceptionally important sub-medieval house with ambitious early renaissance additions.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Allt-y-Bela at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17743994

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

• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)