Llofft-wen (O.S. Lofftwen), Llanwrtyd. NPRN 424399
Lofftwen is an upland longhouse, probably of medieval origin. It is sited about 240m. above OD, some 400m. north-east of Dolecoed Hotel and was formerly part of the Dolecoed estate. It was not visited by Smith and Jones during their survey of `The Houses of Breconshire? in the Builth District (Brycheiniog IX [1964]) but it exhibits many of the features of longhouse development first discussed by them. There are several building phases:
1. Uncertain Medieval. The striking north-south downslope siting and sub-medieval longhouse plan are certain indicators that Lofft-wen has a medieval origin. It was presumably one of numerous cruck-framed peasant hall-houses that were built in the early/mid-sixteenth century and have been modernised in piecemeal fashion while preserving the essentials of the medieval plan with house and agricultural building in range. The crucks do not survive at Llofft-wen but the plan preserves the baying of the medieval house with passage ? hall ? inner-room clearly defined.
2. C17th inserted chimney. The present fireplace has been built in the passage of the medieval house preserving the area of the medieval hall. This is a characteristic development of the C17th century. The fireplace is probably C17th in date and has a substantial chimney shaft but is difficult to date as the fireplace beam has been cut back with the loss of chamfer-stops. (The masonry has also been cut back at first-floor level in the C20th.)
3. C18th modernisation. In its present form Llofft-wen is of lobby-entry type with the principal doorway opening into a lobby at the side of the fireplace. This `polite? doorway presumably replaced the conventional hearth-passage entry from the cowhouse, increasingly regarded as old fashioned in the C18th. The internal doorway between house and former cowhouse (often blocked) has been preserved at Llofft-wen. The rather narrow chamfered ceiling beams are probably mid-C18th century in date. The partition between hall and inner-room has been removed but may have been relocated to the first floor where boards with ogee-moulded edges have been re-set under the truss and then plastered on the back on surprisingly small (re-used?) sections of lath. The inner-room functioned as a parlour bedroom and both sides of the room were lit (the window in the west wall has been blocked for some time). The fireplace (with C19th voussoirs) is offset to accommodate a bed on the west side. Significant traces of painted plaster survive on the fireplace wall on the west (bedroom) side (see separate note). The trusses are well-carpentered with collar-beam trusses rising from stub ties with ogee mouldings. The name Llofft-wen may date from this phase of modernisation which included a new roof and higher eaves level.
4. C19th rebuilding. There is a straight joint between house and farmbuilding in range. The cowhouse (which may have been timber-framed) was replaced by a four-bay barn and stable range in the first half of the C19th. The fall in ground level is sufficiently steep to allow the construction of the stable `under? the barn. The cowhouse was relocated to a new range built parallel with the house. The cowhouse is of three door type with a central feedpassage. The range has been continued by a wainhouse with steps to a loft (granary) over.
Llofft-wen: wallpainting in the inner room
A substantial area of wallpainting survives on the north gable wall of the inner room. The inner-room often functioned as a parlour bedroom and this area of painting survives in the probable bed area. The painting is relatively late and has been painted directly on to a rather thin plaster skim. The wallpainting is a trellis design of Roccoco quatrefoils enclosing sprays of stylised flowers. The quatrefoils are outlined in black with an inner orange line. The sprays have three curved stalks with flowers highlighted in orange. Several Greek crosses or plus signs defined by short black parallel brush strokes occupy the margin between spray and border. The design is `painted wallpaper? of, say, 1800 or a little earlier inspired by expensive wallpapers which were taxed until 1836.
Visited with Sam Hale during restoration work, 13 June 2019. Richard Suggett
