Pen-y-bryn is a very complete example of an aisle-truss house. It was built in the 15th century as a hall house and originally consisted of a hall between a small inner-room and a large outer-room, built on a platform at right-angles to the downward slope. The outer room was later rebuilt in stone, but much of the medieval building, including the outer walls, survives. An upper floor and a great stone end chimney were inserted in the 17th century, and the resulting staircase with its flat, shaped and moulded balusters is of high quality. Two timber-framed dormers to the front also survive from this period. Each truss, apart from the hall's central arched-braced base cruck, is aisled. The arched-braced cruck has struts forming a cusped quatrefoil, as does the spere cruck, probably constructed to block off the passage from the hall. Internally, the roof trusses and the ornately-carved aisle-posts by the passage partition are of exceptional quality. The house was fully restored in the 1970s and some fine close-studded timber-framing was revealed.

Associated with Pen-y-bryn barn (Nprn 37207)
Source: DE/DOM/SJ22NW, from a report by P. Smith, and from Edward Hubbard, 'The Buildings of Wales'
J. Archer, RCAHMW, 1.10.2004

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