Lletty Maengwyn was originally a half-timbered house, probably constructed in either the 17th or 18th century. It was subsequently modified using similar materials to increase its living space by the insertion of an upper floor, though only a portion of the timber frame remained so the exact dimensions of the original building remained uncertain.

The earliest depiction of the house and buildings was on the Ordnance Surveyors drawing of 1817.

The Bettws Tithe map of 1840 shows that the house was called ‘Thimble Hall’ at the time and is described as a tenement, occupied by Richard Williams and owned by the Powis Estate.

At some point in the 19th century the house was rebuilt in brick, with the south and west walls being entirely replaced. Some of the timber frame was retained on the east and north, though brick was used to infill the panels in place of the original wattle and daub. Additions were made to the building that are evident on cartographic sources, some of which are likely to have had an agricultural function.

The last phase of rebuilding took place in about 2004, when the house was extended and all original internal features removed. A new roof and floors were constructed, largely supported by steel girders that were attached to the shell of the house as it would have been in the 19th century.

Reference: Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust building survey, March 2021.

Site Record

Lletty Maengwyn, Abermule