History

The house in its present form is late C16 in origin, and exhibits a clear sequence of development. The early house comprised the north range, to which a gabled wing was added to the SW in the early C17. In many respects it was typical of the gentry houses of Ardudwy of the period, in being storeyed with gable end chimneys, and a cross-passage plan. Originally, the main range would have comprised hall, with cross-passage, and two small rooms (service room and parlour). In the early C17, when the rear wing was added, the cross-passage was removed (the partition re-sited on the first floor), and a larger parlour with new fireplace took the place of the two small rooms. The rear wing may have been a kitchen, but evidence for a high quality ceiling may suggest a room of higher status. Later again, the SE angle between the rear wing and the main range was filled in with an extension running parallel to the main range, perhaps in the late C17 (a date of 1680 recorded in 1974, on panels then found in the house may perhaps refer to this addition). The house was at some time re-roofed (and attic dormers added), though retaining the original timbers. It was also at some time re-fenestrated (probably in the early C19, though one early window (remarkably) survives internally. Single storey mid-late C20 extensions to the west effectively re-orientated the house, with a new entrance on the south side.
The house has strong links with John Jones the regicide, as the home of his mother, Ellen Wynne. Jones is also said to have provided a mortgage of £280 on the house to its then owner, Lowrey Griffiths. When Griffiths defaulted, the house was repossessed, to be taken from Jones' estate following his execution in 1660. In 1664, the Griffiths family were able to re-acquire the house from the Crown, and successive generations of the family lived there until 1920.
The house was once a farm house (there is a group of farm buildings to its rear), and may have had a secondary dwelling associated with it. An altered cottage in the grounds has some features suggesting early origins, and it was not unusual in Ardudwy for high-status farm houses to have an associated dwelling of lesser status, usually assumed to have been a widow's house.

Exterior

Large 2-unit house with end-chimneys and rear wing. 2 storeys with attics. Rubble stone (mostly field stone), with modern Welsh slate roofs, retaining coped gables throughout. Gable end stacks on main range and rear wing, all tall and with pronounced cappings. Rear wing has lateral stack advanced as a small gable to the west. Later block of similar constructional character at SE has similar, though rendered, chimney. The original range faces north: doorway to right of centre, with arched head with voussoirs, the door itself a modern glazed replacement. Wood mullioned and windows with small panes to ground floor - two to left of doorway, one to right. 2 similar windows to right at first floor; smaller 4-pane casements to left. 4 gabled dormers in the roof, all with 2-paned casement windows. East gable has pointed arched stair window with small-paned mullioned and transomed window. Rear wing has gabled stack advanced to west, with renewed windows alongside it on each floor: these are based on small-paned sashes, but the openings appear to have been reduced in height. Similar window to ground floor in east wall, also renewed. Offset 16-pane sash window at first floor in gable end. Additional range parallel to main range at SE has a small-paned sash window on each floor in S elevation.

Interior

Main range comprises two-roomed plan, though with some modification. The former existence of a cross-passage is suggested by the aligned doorways to front and rear, and confirmed by the slot for a post-and-panel partition in the beam to the west of the doorways. The partition has been re-used upstairs. The division between the two rooms now lies to the east side of the cross-passage, with the larger room (the original hall) beyond it: this has heavy cross-beams at each end wall and centrally: these have simple chamfers. Wide fireplace to east, the curved chamfered bressumer set below and behind the end ceiling beam. Chimney stair in SE corner. Smaller room has smaller (though still wide) fireplace; straight bressumer with curved stopped chamfer. Modern staircase in SW corner, partially concealing an early pre-glazing timber window: this is of 2-lights, with diamond mullion.
Rear wing has ceiling divided into quadrants by heavy beams: the main beam runs across the room and is chamfered with simple diamond stop; smaller longitudinal beam jointed into this, chamfered with stepped stops. Additional beams alongside each end wall. Broad stop-chamfered joists, originally counter-changing (as indicated by slots in central and end-wall beams). Lateral fireplace, with cambered bressumer with curved stops to chamfer. Semi-circular internal buttress against gable end, presumably supporting former fireplace and chimney at first floor.
Small room to SE has fine built-in cupboard, perhaps early C19, and good contemporary door.
First floor:
Chimney stair has good vernacular joinery in upper section, including gate at head of stair: chamfered newels with reeded detail and shaped finials; reeded upper and lower rails into which plain balusters with finely shaped heads are slotted. Fine post and panel partition (assumed to be relocated from ground floor) separates rear landing from front bedrooms, and a separate partition divides the landing on the principle division of the plan (corresponding to the division between the cross-passage and main room on the ground floor, and between two original rooms on the first floor): this may be in-situ. The larger partition has two doorways with double ogee heads. One of these (the westernmost) has reeded detail to architrave and to door; the arrowhead hinges are enriched with engraved detail. Presumably this was originally the door into the parlour. The other doorway is simpler, and the similar hinges are unadorned. Doorway into room over wing also has early boarded door with reeded detail and decorated hinges. This door may have originally belonged in the upstairs partition, which has a double-ogee doorway. Dado panelling elsewhere on landing. Room in wing has plastered cross-beam ceiling, and unusual flooring in which boards are laid herringbone fashion about a central rectangle. Fine 2-panelled door leads from landing into SE bay.
Attic:
Main range has simple A-framed trusses: traces of collar visible in that over principal plan division. Similar truss but without collar in rear wing: rougher truss in added SE bay (isolated from present roof-line).

Reasons for Listing

Listed at grade II* as an especially interesting large sub-medieval vernacular house which is a very good example of an important regional type. The house retains clear evidence for its original form and subsequent development, with good interior detail including an exceptionally fine partition, and a very rare surviving example of a timber mullioned window.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17744261

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)