History

Small courtyard of farm buildings open to E and raised on remarkable high stone vaulted terrace with two levels of vaulted chambers. Built c. 1791 by John Nash in association with the demolished mansion, for Barrington Price. Richard Fenton in 1811 wrote that Barrington Price had bought Bwlchyclawdd and renamed it Temple Druid for a cromlech on the site of the farmyard, destroyed by 1811 for the farm buildings. Fenton said Price brought the farm into a 'high state of cultivation; and its out-buildings, fences, gates and every other necessary appendage of luxury, use and convenience, were on a grand scale', and there had been three further owners before 1811. When offered for sale in 1805 the house had 'a complete farmhouse and every necessary outbuilding, the whole erected at considerable expense'.
The farmyard comprises two ranges, a barn to N and byre to S, with the rear of Nos 1-3 Temple Druid cottages forming the W side. The function of the largest vaulted chambers each side is presumably coach-houses, but that of the four low chambers in the centre under the farm court is uncertain.

Exterior

Farmyard to rear of row of three cottages, raised on stone-vaulted terrace high above the mansion site. Coursed slaty rubble stone. Farmcourt comprises on W side the rear of Nos 1-3 Temple Druid Cottages, and a single-storey range on N and S, both altered c. 1900. The E side is open between the gable ends, carried on high rubble faced walls with openings to tall vaulted chambers under the farmyard ranges, a stone revetment between with walkway on top and low openings into low vaulted small spaces under the farmyard itself. The right end including the E gable of the N range has collapsed since listing, taking with it part of the roof of the N range. This roof is of small local grey slates. S range roof is of corrugated asbestos sheet.
E side end bays were tall rising to include gable ends of farmyard ranges, but right wall has collapsed exposing vault within and interior of building above. Both ends had tall arched openings with stone voussoirs, into high barrel-vaulted chambers, the one to left with right side fireplace, the one to right with some blocked openings. Left gable has damaged segmental-arched window with stone voussoirs in end of S farmyard range, set to right, the window replaced by one with flat brick head cutting into original arch. Between the bays there is a plain revetment wall with damaged L-shaped flight of 10 steps to right to a walkway above between the two end sections. Off the walkway are 5 openings, those to left and right narrow with stone voussoirs to semi-circular arched heads. Those to centre comprise two with stone voussoirs to slightly cambered openings and a similar centre one but with thin pine lintel. Left opening is into a low narrow barrel-vaulted chamber running back into the bank, and the three centre openings are into low chambers with cambered stone vaults running back. The right arch opens onto flight of 17 steps up to courtyard level.
The small courtyard is overgrown. Low gabled ranges N and S. S range had three arched openings with stone voussoirs, that to right wider and the only one to retain the voussoirs, robbed from other two, blocked in C20. N range has two chambers within, but E end has collapsed. Pine C19 collar trusses. Openings mostly altered: left window with earlier C20 red brick head and concrete sill, then door with similar red brick head, then a recessed blank panel possibly original. A fourth window has been lost in the collapse.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* despite the deteriorating condition for its exceptional interest as a late C18 farmyard built on vaulted basements.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742568

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey