Monmouthshire, Wales

Llwyn Celyn is a rare survival of a remarkably complete, Grade 1, high status late-15th century farmstead. It is of outstanding importance not just to Welsh and British heritage, but also internationally. Located in the Llanthony Valley, in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Llwyn Celyn is a textbook example of the development of the Welsh manor house, representing all key developments in British domestic architecture between the 15th and 18th centuries. It was built as a double hall house with attached solar block, both halls originally open to a roof that retains its late-medieval, smoke-blackened timbers. The house was ceiled in the 17th century and this too survives. Now in a state of dire need after years of neglect, Llwyn Celyn is regarded by Cadw as "the most important at risk occupied historic house in Wales”.

The owners and occupiers, a pair of farming brothers, are unable to repair the house despite its desperate condition. Its exceptional significance and sensitive setting led Cadw to approach the Landmark Trust to intervene, to find a means to acquire and rescue it for the national benefit. After a long period of delicate discussions with the owners and the National Park Authority, a solution has been agreed whereby the house, its farmstead and immediate land will be transferred to the Landmark Trust, in a deal which will enable the owners to build a replacement house for themselves elsewhere on the farm to continue working it. This has been funded jointly by Cadw and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, who jointly granted £600,000 to fund this preliminary acquisition phase, an indication of the importance afforded to Llwyn Celyn.

Llwyn Celyn still presents its original late-medieval floor plan, with cross passage and service rooms, central hall and parlour wing. It retains much of its medieval joinery virtually intact, including a finely carved passage screen, doors to service rooms, dais bench still attached to the dais partition, and fine double headed ogee door heads with carved spandrels. There is undoubtedly much more to discover about its fabric and history. Llwyn Celyn presents an exceptional opportunity to recover a late medieval building, kept fortuitously near-intact after years of extreme neglect. The owners are expected to move out of Llwyn Celyn and occupy their newly built house by the end of 2012, for which planning permission is now in hand.

This will be a demanding and long-running project – but such challenges are why Landmark exists.

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