History

Probably C16 origins but largely rebuilt c1690 and further altered c1740; subsequent alterations and additions. Said to have acquired its present name in 1816 probably on account of its earlier associations with Sir Charles Hanbury Williams who is described in the History of Llanfoist as "an eminent English poet in his day".

Exterior

2-storey, whitewashed rubble farmhouse with battered base.Wide eaves of the slate roof are carried on unusually massive timber brackets which may have originally supported a stone roof. Stone end chimneys, that to uphill gable end with a distinctive octagonal stack. 2-window front with additional ground-floor window inserted into former, although possibly secondary, offset doorway; formerly with gabled porch. The original window openings have replaced 3-light small-pane casement glazing and stone dripmoulds; the inserted window is 2-light. Gable ends have small attic windows. 2-storey unheated late C17 cross wing to rear indicating an L-plan following the 1690 remodelling but with the cross-passage between the two ranges. This was blocked in the c1740 work by the insertion of the new staircase, the tall window to which has a massive stone surround. Further C18 and modern, enlargements to west at rear.

Interior

The former hall and heated parlour are now one following the removal of a partition. The hall retains apparent evidence of the pre 1690 house and has axial stop-chamfered oak ceiling beams and diagonal stops to the jambs of the stone fireplace, beside which was originally a winding stone stairs. The former doorway to front is splayed to one side and Fox and Raglan's plan shows a now blocked doorway to north. The parlour detail is characteristic of the period of the c1690 remodelling. It has plaster ceiling with good ogee-moulded cornice and moulded door-frame from the passage to the rear; monolithic stone lintel to fireplace. c1740 the stairs were moved from the south side of the hall chimney to the east end of the passage in a grander, but archaic form, still of winding stone type. Upstairs a further late C17 doorframe is retained together with stop-chamfered beams. The screen formerly continued to 1st floor. Visible in the 1st floor corridor along the western face of the late C17 cross-wing are heavy timber brackets in the manner of a pentice but more likely to be corresponding eaves brackets to those noted at the front; the existence of these brackets confirms the dating of this cross wing as contemporary with the front. The late C17 roof trusses in the main block have curved feet while those to the later cross-wing are of narrower scantling. Vaulted cellar.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for the special interest of its surviving late C17 character.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29494842

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

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)