Henblas farm is situated approximately half a mile east of Pontdolgoch, on the other side of the river Carno. According to heritage consultancy Trysor, Henblas is 'a post medieval farm which has expanded during modern times. The name "Henblas" (Old Mansion) has been in use for over 400 years, with the name appearing in records from the early 17th century onward (National Library of Wales, Henblas, Llanwnnog, Papers). This early use of the name suggests that the holding may have medieval or early post medieval origins. It is logical to assume that before the house became known as Henblas is would have been known by a different name.'
'Historical sources name some of the families who have been associated with Henblas in the past. A Morgan Lloyd of Henblas is named in a document dating to 1677 (Shropshire Archives X484/7/3/3/346) and Morris Lloyd of Henblas, who died in 1681, was buried under the Communion Table in Llanwnog church (Lloyd, J. D. E., 1972, p. 103). A colourful character who settled here in the 1690s was Captain Richard Hill, an Irish army captain who had made a name for himself during the Seige of Londonderry in 1689. Hill rented Henblas from the Glynne family of Glyn Tryweryn, who owned the property at that time (Morgan, 1993, p.10). The property was later to pass, through marriage, to the Glyne-Mytton or Mytton family of Guilsfield, Montgomeryshire.'
'A document of 1652 in the Glansevern Estate Records at the National Library of Wales names Henblas. Papers in the Dolforgan Estate Records at the National Library of Wales show that the Breese family were tenants at Henblas in the early 19th century. More recently, the Jones family of Henblas deposited papers relating to the property at the National Library of Wales (Henblas Llanwnnog Papers). From this family came John Edfryn Jones, who was High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1965.'
'The earliest map showing the property is the Ordnance Survey's Original Surveyors Drawings, Shrewsbury sheet, surveyed in 1817. The Original Surveyors Drawings represent the first detailed map series of the whole country. They do not generally map field boundaries in detail and the details of the field system which are shown on the map cannot be interpreted as accurate representations of the fieldscape at the time of the survey.'
'The map shows the farmyard complex at Henblas to be in the same location as at present, accessed by the same farm and from the west as is used today. The layout of the farm buildings is markedly different however, but it is not certain that the depiction of the buildings is accurate. The parish tithe map shows more light on the building arrangement. There is also a building shown further to the east, at the development site, detached from the farmyard area and enclosed within a rectilinear parcel of land. This building seems to extend from the western boundary of the land parcel to the eastern boundary.'
'It is interesting to note that the main road serving the area in 1817 was the road which runs through Llanwnog village and to the south and west of Henblas. This was the Machynlleth to Newtown turnpike road, built in 1790, a milestone of which is still in place to the south of Henblas today. At this early date, the present A470 road had not been built, nor the railway line which runs parallel to it.'
The parish tithe map of 1846 provides a much more detailed depiction of the layout of the farm buildings and the field system. It records Henblas as a 75 acre holding, owned by the Reverend Devereaux Glynn Mytton and farmed by John Jones. The Mytton family of Garth, Guilsfield, Montgomeryshire were major landowners in the county and held Henblas and other properties in Llanwnog for several centuries. The Jones family were tenants of the Mytton's at Henblas during the 19th century and appear to have eventually purchased the property.'
'This map captures the position of the original farmhouse, which stood to the north of the present farmhouse but was demolished sometime after 1900. The house was accompanied by two farm buildings on the farmyard, the westernmost of which appears to survive to the present day, although it has now been incorporated into the modern building arrangement.'
'The tithe map also shows a large building on the eastern edge of the farmyard, apparently the same building as is shown on the 1817 Ordnance Survey map. This building is significantly larger than any other building on the holding, or on neighbouring holdings. It is described as barn on the tithe schedule, and the enclosure within which it stands is described as an orchard. It may be speculated that such a large building may have origins as something other than a simple barn, but there is no documentary or cartographic evidence to explain what that might have been.'
'The fields on the farm are described on the tithe schedule as follows: Yr Hen Corfa; Werglodd Fach; Werglodd Hen Llwnog; Pum Cyfair; Cae Goch; Wth Cyfair; Ddol Ucha; Dol Issa; Werglodd Tan y Ty; Green; Maes y Green; House & Homestead; Barn Yard & Orchard; Role Felin; Bron Henston Nessa'
'The 1886 First Edition of the 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map shows that the field system of Henblas Farm had retained many of its characteristics when compared with the parish tithe map. Some field boundaries had been removed and some had been added, but the more interesting developments relate to the buildings on the farm.'
'The farmhouse at the eastern side of the farmyard was still shown, as were the two farm buildings to the west of it. The westernmost building had been extended considerably by 1886 however and a new building added to the north of the original buildings, creating a much larger group of buildings.'
'The large barn shown in the orchard to the east of the house and farmyard was, by 1886, a much smaller building. The original building may have been demolished and replaced by a new structure, or the eastern end of the original barn may have been retained.'

22 September 2017, permission was granted by Powys County Council to build 'a free range egg production unit including silos, formation of vehicular access road and all associated works' at Henblas, on the site of the old large barn in the orchard.' This unit was designed by Roger Parry & Partners to house 32,000 birds.

Sources:: Trysor report entitled 'Land East of Henblas, Caersws, Powys Historic Environment Assessment' by Jenny Hall and Paul Sambrook, published June 2017; Powys planning application details, reference number: P/2017/0281
M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 5th March 2019