Old Smithy, Hen-efail, is a disused late 18th/19th century, tradiotional stone and cob (clom) building, situated down the sloping ground, and has a former cow-house at its upper end, divided from a former domestic cottage at the lower end. Thi lowere ned retains cut-back evidence of a chimney-beam fro a former wicker-work fireplace hood, and has been subsequently used as a smithy and a shop.
Its cemented rendered walls are battered internally and externally risinfg to just over 2 meters at the eaves, with wall thickness of 80 centimetrres at its base and 60 centimetres at eaves level. The external end corners of walls are rounded and original openings have timber lintels, with splays to window openings (now all blocked). The roof is covered by c1900 corrugated-iron.
The lower end, cottage part must have had an original entry in the present modern opening, its left side, which is slightly splayed indicates and original jamb. There are windows flanking the entry, and one almost opposite. The window to the right is sited under the fireplace beam, which could serve to light a kitchen or a smithy fireplace. In these cottages generally, the larger kitchen room has the entry within it alongside a partition to a smaller parlour, each with a window, as it may once have been here. The two collar roof trusses here are of c1900 sawn softwood, with trusses held in place by wire straps to bolts in the wall.
The cow-house part, at the upper end, had doorways for a central feed passage and flanking doorways for catle, which were tethered facing the feed passage. part of the c1900 brick stall unit survives with four cattle tethering places. only the central feed-passage doorways exist, the others are blocked. The three roof-trusses have mid-late 19th century, nailed lap-collar trusses.

Visited at request of Shan Gwyn, Secretary of Llanllwchaiarn Community Council, prior to planned demolition.

Recorded, Geoff Ward 10/11/2011