Pricaston Farmhouse

Description

Medieval type house. Hall, cross passage and service room with later rebuilding. Cross passage well preserved. 'The ruinous remains of the medieval house of Pricaston... lie to the south of Castlemartin in the heart of the military range. Although the main house was remodelled in the nineteenth century, it has its origins in the fifteenth century and was once a fine house with well-appointed fittings and ornate dressed stonework (RCAHMW, AP_2005_2638).' (Extract from Driver, T. 2007, 'Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air'. RCAHMW, p. 231)

Earthwork remains of a possible deserted medieval village were discovered by the National Park archaeologist close by in 2006. (Coflein)

Ruin of a large farmhouse incorporating elements of a mediaeval house. The farmhouse as extensively rebuilt c.1700 faces E. Vacated by 1938 when the Army Range was established and now subject to very restricted access. The house, its farm buildings and outhouses are now in ruins. Mediaeval elements: At ground storey level: a vaulted through-passage 1.25 m wide with three plain pointed-arch doorways in the S wall and one similar doorway at its W end, all formed in thin masonry (about 0.2 m thick) of limestone ashlar, built into a structure of rubble masonry. The three arches to the S are just under 1 m wide and that to the W just over 1 m. To the south are two service rooms with very low segmental vaults, one now partly collapsed, entered by the first and second arches. The third arch now leads via a corner to the rear kitchen wing and probably originally led to a service room in that position. The wall at the N side of the cross passage is in ordinary rubble masonry about 0.6 m thick but it must be mediaeval as it supports the passage vault. The longitudinal walls of the vaulted service rooms are also of ordinary rubble masonry about 0.4 to 0.6 m thick and are part of the original construction. The hall of the mediaeval house must have been to the N of this passage, though whether at ground or first floor level is unknown. The room above the vaulted service rooms was evidently a solar, with a surviving mediaeval window. Fragments of a staircase leading to this solar survive, awkwardly incorporated into the side of the dogleg staircase of the C18 house. It included a lateral chimney, corbelled on the outside. C18 farmhouse: On this mediaeval core the building was extended to a three-storey main range approximately 15 m long by 6 m deep, in rubble masonry. There are two rear (W) wings, that to the SW containing the kitchens. There seems to have been some rebuilding of the rear quarters in the C19. A small porch was formed at the centre of the E front leading into the mediaeval passage, this now being the front of the house. A stairs enclosure was inserted in the angle between the NW wing and the main range. All the joinery is now missing, although Fox's notes refer to pine panelling of 1680-1710 on the first floor and a fireplace and china cupboard of similar date in the old solar. First floor window openings in the front elevation survive to the right of centre: three tall openings of 1:2 proportion with heads of 5 voussoirs including a projecting keystone. Slate sills. Smaller and narrower windows at 2nd floor level. The S half of the main elevation is collapsed, but enough survives or is seen in old photographs to suggest its fenestration was similar. The room to the north of the mediaeval through-passage gives access to the C18 staircase. The main stairs are of dogleg type rising clockwise. The old solar has been a dining room or parlour at some stage. A floor aperture into the old cross passage beneath was perhaps formed for serving purposes. This house listed at Grade 2 star because it incorporates a very interesting and substantial fragment of a mediaeval hall house with vaulted service rooms, and is also valuable as an C18 house of good architectural appearance. (Listed Building Report)

The monument consists of the remains of a farmhouse originating in the late medieval period. The early core is represented by a well preserved cross or screens passage having a series of three two centred stone arches on the south west leading to two vaulted service rooms below a solar. A further two centred arched doorway at the passage’s north west end has the remains of a spiral stair to the solar above it. The solar retains a trefoil headed lancet window and the remains of a corbelled chimney. A tower, previously detached from the main building but now incorporated into a kitchen wing and containing a corn-drying kiln, is of comparable medieval date, it also has the remains of a corbelled chimney. To the north east of the cross passage is the hall; much modified in the 18th century and attached to this a north east range possibly with early origins but showing a complex sequence of development. In the 18th century a dining room was attached north west of the hall. The 19th century saw the kitchen range added to the rear. The site is first recorded in 1592, but was probably the home of John Le Prikker, tenant of the Earl of Pembroke in 1325. (Scheduling Report)