Gwarffynnon farm is situated approximately half a mile south of the village of Silian. According to heritage consultancy Trysor, 'the farmstead of Gwarffynnon does not appear on the Lampeter sheet of the 1811 Ordnance Survey Original Surveyors Drawing, even though neighbouring properties such as Deri Goch and Pantcou are shown on the map. This strongly suggests that the property post-dates 1811.'
'On the 1834 1 inch to 1 mile scale map, a possible building is shown at the site of the present farmstead complex, but the map is too indistinct to be certain.'
'On the Silian parish tithe map of 1846, the farmhouse and fields at Gwarffynnon are shown. At that time one Thomas Lloyd was recorded as the occupier of the property, which was owned by William Edward Powell of Nanteos, who served as the MP for Cardiganshire. The tithe map shows only a single, L-shaped building in the approximate are of the present farmhouse. Unfortunately, the field names are not recorded on the Silian tithe apportionment.'
'A letter is kept at the National Library of Wales which was written by an Evan Morga, Llandysul, on behalf of Thomas Lloyd, Gwarffynnon on November 25th 1864. It outlines Lloyd's fears that he could be evicted from the farm. Importantly, this letter informs us that Thomas Lloyd had in fact built the house at Gwarffynnon himself.'
'The 1841 census returns show that Thomas Lloyd was a Blacksmith and living at Gwarffynnon with his wife and children. The 1851 census shows that Lloyd was born in Llanwnnen parish about 1797. He could credibly have built Gwarffynnon during the late 1820s or early 1830s.'
'The Lloyd family continued to reside here at the time of the 1851 and 1861 census returns. One son, Lewis, was aged 19 in 1851 and his parish of birth is given as Silian which may prove that the family were at Gwarffynnon by 1832. His eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was born around 1821 in Llanfair Clydogau, showing that the family had not moved to Silian by the early 1820s.'
'By the time of the 1871 census the Edwards family were farming 85 acres at Gwarffynnon.'
'A now lost cottage named Nant yr Efail stood to the southeast of the farm in the 19th century and gives its name to the stream which rises at a spring on Gwarffynnon Farm. It seems likely that the "gefail" or smithy in question was that of Thomas Lloyd, who was recorded as a Blacksmith at Gwarffynnon from 1841 until 1861.'
'The 1889 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map shows the layout of the farmyard clearly for the first time. The arrangement of buildings shown is markedly different to the earlier L-shaped building shown on the parish tithe map. The 1889 map appears to show a building on the site of the present farmhouse, although much smaller in extent. The farmyard lay to the west of this building, with a long building range defining the western side of the farmyard. This latter building survives today and has been converted into holiday cottages.'
'The 1907 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map shows a very similar layout to that shown in 1889, and relatively little changes in the depiction of the farm buildings on 20th century Ordnance Survey maps up until the 1970s.'
'A substantial range of modern agricultural buildings to the west of the original farmstead core is of modern date. The field system shown at Gwarffynnon on mid-19th century maps has undergone a number of changes during the past century and a half. The essential elements of this post-medieval field system are still recognisable today, although some field boundaries have been removed to create larger field parcels and other field parcels have been sub-divided to create smaller fields. The field boundaries were found to mostly consist of low, earth banks, topped with blackthorn hedges and post and wire fencing.'
Source: Trysor report entitled 'Gwarffynnon, Silian Ceredigion Historic Environment Appraisal' by Jenny Hall and Paul Sambrook, published December 2013
M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 8th March 2019