As far as we have been able to establish, the oldest part of the cottage was built in 1741 and it is also clear that the building has some more "modern" parts.
As far as we have been able to establish, the oldest part of the cottage was built in 1741. We originally thought it was much older than this until we removed an old shelf near the fireplace of the Day-Room and revealed a carved date on the inglenook beam. However it is also probable that there was much older building here originally and it is also clear that the building has some more "modern" parts: The parlour wing was built in the early 19th century and the kitchen somewhat later that century, we think!
Whilst this lane is a backwater now, it was originally the main valley road, thereby avoiding the then boggy lane in the valley bottom. The reasons for the expansion can only be speculated upon, but seems to be linked to the opposing forces of church and alcohol!
As far as we know the house was built as the rectory for the St Tydecho's church, which is opposite and continued as such until the Victorian rectory was built at the bottom of the lane (the large grey slate clad house). After this time records and old maps show that Tyn-y-llan became an ale house run by the Evans family, whose gravestone can be seen in the churchyard. This is not the same as a modern pub, but a much smaller homely sort of place.
Today there is a little evidence of these far off days: The original wooden paneling in the dining room (nee tap room) against which the locals would bang their chair backs and the small window in the kitchen which lit the stairs to the small cellar hark back to this time. This low cellar was originally topped by a wooden floor about two feet higher than present, until a rather surprised auctioneer fell through the woodworm riddled floor into the cellar when the contents were being sold off!
It seems that with the advent of the first world war and depopulation of the area there was not enough trade for the ale house, which went into a gradual decline over the following decades, such that by 1966 the roofs were falling in and there was actually a tree growing in the main bedroom. This is when the Walker family bought the cottage, complete with sitting tenant Mary ("Polly") Jones, who died in 1981 and is buried by the back gate of the cemetery. A small matter of a 50+ year (and continuing) programme of renovation and the cottage is more or less finished.
