Middle Hengoed Farmhouse

Summary

A small, timber-framed farmhouse of late-C16 or early C17 date with C19 and C20 additions and alterations.

Reasons for Designation

Middle Hengoed Farmhouse is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural Interest: the building is a good example of a late C16 or early C17 two-cell structure;
* Intactness: despite some later additions and alterations, a significant quantity of the original structure remains, including cruck trusses and substantial framing.

History

The earliest building on site, which now forms the west end of Middle Hengoed Farmhouse and is the subject of this application, has one complete, cruck truss to full height and one which has been truncated. This construction appears to be of late-C16 or early C17 date. A hearth at its north-eastern gable end appears to be original, but it is possible that the cruck-framed building formerly extended further to the north-east. At some later stage a timber-framed farm building, which formed an extension, was attached to the north-eastern end and any earlier building was demolished to make way for this. This extension was in turn entirely demolished at the end of 2011 to make way for a new house which was in the course of being built at the time of the listing survey (2012). One side of the roof of the original, earliest building has been raised and two walls have been rebuilt in rubble stone, apparently in the C19. In addition, a concrete raft, hardwood window surrounds and pebble-dashed render were added to the structure in the later-C20 and the rear wall was clad in cinder blocks and also rendered.

Details

MATERIALS: the external walling is timber-framed and of rubble stone and cinder blocks covered with pebble-dashed render. The roof covering has been removed, but was formerly of corrugated metal.

PLAN: the building has two storeys and two rooms to each floor with a large hearth to the north-eastern gable end.

EXTERIOR: the south-east flank has two, two-light casement windows to each floor with hardwood surrounds, which appear to be of the 1970s.There is a doorway to the ground floor at far right. The south-west gable end has render to the lower body and corrugated metal covering to the gable. The north-west flank wall has a two-light casement window with hardwood surround, as before, to the ground floor at left. The north-east gable end was formerly attached to the later portion of the house which has now been demolished. The lower body of the wall is plastered, with a doorway to the left.

INTERIOR: the trusses to each gable end consist of two cruck blades joined by a collar and yoke. Both sides of one blade of the north-eastern truss are exposed, but do not show clear signs of weathering or soot blackening. The south-western wall is of rubble stone to its lower body, but cruck blades are visible at first-floor level. The middle wall has small framed walling with substantial timbers and angle braces connecting to the tie beam and angle struts above the collar. Timbers are evident to the interior of the north-western flank wall and there are two ranks of substantial purlins to the roof on this side. The south-eastern flank wall has been rebuilt in rubble stone to the level of the tie beam of the central truss. Above this it is extended in brick, implying a rebuilding of the lower wall, perhaps in the C18, followed by a raising of the roof on this side in the C19. The ground floor has heavy, axial central beams to the ceiling with joists which are closely-set and substantial. The open, winder staircase is of C19 or C20 date and set against the western side of the dividing wall. It appears to mask a former doorway, between the ground floor rooms, which has a cambered head. The eastern ground-floor room has a large fireplace opening across most of the north-east gable wall with a chamfered bressumer above. The flooring throughout the ground floor has been replaced by a concrete raft in the C20 and areas of the rubble stone plinth appear to have been rebuilt at the same time.

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