Hafotty,

Llansadwrn Llansadwrn (; ; ) is a small village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located in the countryside above the valley of the River Tywi, about halfway between Llandovery (Welsh: Llanymddyfri) to the north-east, and Llandeilo to the ...

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

, Wales is a medieval

hall house The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...

dating from the mid 14th century. Described in the

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist * Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo * David Pevsner, American actor, singer, dan ...

as "one of Anglesey's classic small medieval houses", Hafotty is a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

and a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

History

The original house at Hafotty was built of wood. This house is recorded as "Bodiordderch" ("the house of Iordderch"), and has also been called 'Bodarddar'. Anthony Emery dates this wooden house to the second quarter of the 14th century. Its original owner was Thomas Norres from Lancashire. In 1535 the house was in the possession of Henry Norris, Constable of Beaumaris Castle. By the 16th century, Hafotty had passed to the Bulkeleys, another prominent North Wales family, and had acquired its present name, meaning summer house, or summer dairy.

Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...

records extensions to the house in the 16th century, and its re-casing in stone in the 17th. By the 20th century, Hafotty was in a state of some dereliction, but was restored in the 1970s and again in the early 21st century. The house remains in the possession of the Bulkeleys, although under the care of Cadw, and is occasionally open to the public.

Architecture and description

The Gwynedd

considers Hafotty "one of Anglesey's classic small medieval houses". Peter Smith, in his ''Houses of the Welsh Countryside'', categorises it as a three-unit

and notes that, despite its "relatively modest" size, it was still a "house of status". Built to an ''H''-plan, and constructed of

rubble Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash)."Rubble" def. 2., "Brash n. 2. def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionary ...

masonry Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...

, it is of two-storeys. Dendrochronology from tree rings dates the beams in the extension to between 1509 and 1553. The interior contains some notable medieval fittings, including fireplaces and window surrounds. The fireplace has a Tudor arch and the inscription in la, Si deus nobiscum, quis contra nos ('If God is with us, who can be against us') which is a Bulkeley family motto. The arch also has carvings of the heads of a Saracen and a bull, another Bulkeley family motif. Hafotty is a

and a

Footnotes

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

* {{Commons category-inline Grade I listed buildings in Anglesey Scheduled monuments in Anglesey Country houses in Anglesey Grade I listed houses