History

Gentry house, probably early C17. Recorded in 1603 as occupied by Thomas Bateman. Part of the estate of Thomas Gwynne of Cwrt/ Court (d 1859) and then of the Rev T.G. Mortimer (d 1903). One of the best surviving examples of the massive round chimney set on a side wall, a particular feature of Pembrokeshire. Peter Smith suggests a ground-floor hall house, a single range with lower eaves than at present, originally thatched. Three room plan with cross passage to S of main hall with massive E side fireplace and the lateral outshuts, characteristic of this house type, on both E and W sides of the hall. The pointed S door of the hall and the blocked plain door in the same wall gave onto an unheated upper end room, possibly a parlour or service room. A timber partition divided the cross passage from the lower end lofted section, now the kitchen. A range to the N is possibly an early byre, much rebuilt, and converted to accommodation. Much restored in late C20, photographs show a larger kitchen chimney on the N end gable, and small-paned sashes or casement windows.

Exterior

House, rubble stone with slate roof, small rebuilt right end stack and massive lateral stack on E entrance front. Two storeys, two parts, the original house to S and a range in line to N probably originally an outbuilding. In late C20 restoration the roofs were restored with new slates, all windows (already changed to plastic) replaced in painted hardwood with double glazing, timber lintels generally renewed and parts of walls rebuilt.
The main house has E front chimney: massive square rubble stone base to rendered circular tapering stack. Two bays to right, with square 4-pane windows above (9-pane casements in old photograph), door and longer 4-pane window (12-pane sash in old photograph) with slab lintel below. Base of chimney has small attached outbuilding running E with door and tiny window facing N, 2 tiny windows in E wall, all with single stone lintels. To left of stack C20 window with stone lintel, in lateral outshut of hall. To left again, upper end has one C20 2-light window. S end wall is rebuilt, 2 long C20 windows with triangular head, one to ground floor right, lighting stair, one to first floor left. Rear is altered, there was a central outshut which included both the original W outshut and an added dairy, this has now been continued to left to include a kitchen extension. The rear of S end room has eaves sloping up and one 2-light window. Original hall outshut has new 3-light window, to right in present outshut. New back door to left, then window door and window. N end gable has small first floor window and window in side of kitchen addition.
N range has no clear masonry break to original house, indicating ancient origin. E front has doorway just in from party wall with C19 brick cambered head and double glass doors (old photograph shows a small-paned 2-light casement here). Large C20 opening to right with pair of windows. Straight joint to extreme right section, 2 floors, each with C20 window. N end gable has evidence of roof raising and alterations. Rear has 3 roof-lights to main roof, 5 to outshut, glazed doors to left, to lower bedroom, and C20 oak and glass front to garden room to right.

Interior

Entrance into stone flagged passage with late C20 stairs at far end (a small square light discovered in restoration may undermine the theory that the cross passage ended in a front door here). Rebuilt partition to right into kitchen and rebuilt stone wall into hall.
Hall is single space with 3 large oak collar trusses, the principals curved and resting on tops of walls, except the S pair which rest on renewed cross beams over the outshuts. Three purlins each side. The N truss was concealed by a plaster partition (with bramble laths), but has been exposed by setting back the partition just behind. On E wall exceptionally deep square fireplace with massive timber lintel and stone jambs. Outshut of similar depth to right, fully open into hall. Similar outshut opposite but of greater depth, with 2 niches on S wall. A door to right gives access to a rear room and back door, formerly there was a dairy on the back of the house, no door and stairs in NW corner of hall. S end wall of hall has pointed door to left with thin stone voussoirs. Square niche to left, another smaller above door and a third to right, just left of a blocked door with plain timber lintel. N end wall is rebuilt in late C20, stone wall with niches to first floor level, partition with boarded loft door above.
S end room is mostly rebuilt, pointed doorway has plain timber lintel on inside, blocked doorway is also apparent on this side, with thin timber lintel. Niche between doors. C20 oak beams and stair in SE corner to loft bedroom. Kitchen N of cross passage has been extended out to W to make a continuous outshut along W side. Fireplace on N wall. The 2 rooms above the passage and kitchen have late C20 oak trusses. There was a heavy stone lintel in the N end wall, removed and reused in the lower end range.
Lower end range is much rebuilt: sitting room has 3 C19 pine stapled collar trusses, and massive late C20 fireplace with reused lintel. Garden room added on W. S end of garden room has exposed masonry, apparently corner of main house, hand narrow recess to right before a piece of battered masonry, purpose unknown. the original outside W wall of the sitting-room, now in garden room has brick heads to windows. Two modernised bedrooms in N end of this range.

Reasons for Listing

Included, notwithstanding extensive modernisation, as a very rare survival of a regional (SW) hall-house with lateral chimney, the chimney of the massive circular type, characteristic of Pembrokeshire.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29503672

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

• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)