Great Porthamel Farm and Gatehouse
| Great Porthamel Farm and Gatehouse | |
|---|---|
 The gatehouse to the fore with the farmhouse behind | |
| Type | Gatehouse and farmhouse |
| Location | Talgarth, Powys |
| Coordinates | 52°00′32″N 3°13′33″W / 52.0088°N 3.2259°W |
| Built | late 15th century |
| Architectural style(s) | Vernacular |
| Governing body | Privately owned |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Gatehouse at Porthamel Farmhouse |
| Designated | 28 September 1961 |
| Reference no. | 6641 |
| Official name | Porthamel Tower |
| Reference no. | BR047 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Great Porthamel Farmhouse |
| Designated | 28 February 1952 |
| Reference no. | 6652 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Farm building at Porthamel Farm |
| Designated | 14 August 1995 |
| Reference no. | 16303 |
  Location of Great Porthamel Farm and Gatehouse in Powys | |
The farm at Great Porthamel, at Talgarth in Powys, Wales, comprises a range of buildings including the farmhouse, the gate tower and an agricultural building. They form the remnants of a major medieval manor that was the principal seat of the Vaughan family. The complex has been described as "one of the more remarkable mediaeval houses of Wales". The gatehouse is a Grade I listed building, and a scheduled monument, while the farmhouse is listed at Grade II* and the agricultural building at Grade II.
History
The estate at Great Porthamel
Robert Scourfield and Richard Haslam, in their 2013 volume, Powys, of the Buildings of Wales series, note that much of the Porthamel enclosure had been destroyed by the 19th century.[1]
The farm at Porthamel is the site of an anaerobic digester,[6][7] following a controversial, but successful, planning application in the early 21st century, which saw the development opposed by the Brecon Beacons National Park authority.[8][9][10]
Architecture and description
The Porthamel complex has been described as "one of the more remarkable mediaeval houses of Wales".[11] The farmhouse is of two storeys and five bays.[1] The tower is approximately 8m in height.[12] It has an upper chamber with stairs leading to a castellated look-out point.[1] It is a Grade I listed building[3] and a Scheduled monument.[13] The farmhouse is listed at Grade II*,[5] while the agricultural building is Grade II.[14]
Gallery
-
The farmhouse -
Another view of the tower
Notes
- ^ There are many variants including Porthamal and Porth-Amel.
- ^ The Vaughans were an ancient family who claimed descent from the Princes of Powys.
References
- ^ a b c d Scourfield & Haslam 2013, p. 571.
- ^ Jones, Evan David. "Vaughan family of Porthaml". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "Great Porthamel Gatehouse (16103)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "Our History". GP Biotec. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Planning Applications and Inquiries - Great Porthamel". Judith Teasdale.co. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Great Porthamel" (PDF). Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "National park's challenge to green energy plant is hard to digest". Wales Online. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Legal challenge to green scheme". BBC Wales. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Historic Landscapes - Middle Wye". cpat.org.uk. Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ Philip Davis. "Porthamal Tower (The Gatehouse Record)". gatehouse-gazetteer.info. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
Sources
- Scourfield, Robert; Haslam, Richard (2013). Powys: Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire. OCLC 935421607.