History

The Carmelite Friary at Denbigh is said to have been founded by Sir John Salusbury of Lleweni (d.1289) and much of the surviving fabric of the church is of late-C13 date. Various subsequent bequests to the community are recorded, including twenty marks towards the building of new cloisters by Henry Standish, Bishop of St Asaph in the early C16. Standish (1518-35) is recorded as having lived at the friary 'in the Bishop's Chamber,' as did his successor, Robert Purefoy. The friary was suppressed at the Dissolution in 1537 and the church and some of the claustral buildings appear to have been adapted as houses.

The present Abbey Cottage incorporates much of Bishop Standish's southern cloister range and would originally have served as the Dorter and Refectory. Despite heavy modernisation, the building retains two early Tudor doorways and three primary rectangular windows. Two late C16 or C17 roof trusses survive in the attic, testifying to a post-Dissolution re-roofing, perhaps following conversion into a house. Damage from a fire recorded in 1898 is visible in the attic, and the majority of the roof structure post-dates this. The house was modernised in the late 1940s.

Exterior

L-shaped 2-storey house of whitened rubble construction under a slate roof. The main, rectangular block of the building is essentially of early Tudor date, though it has been extensively modernised. On the N side, now contained within a large catslide extension, is a primary Tudor-arched entrance with moulded, weathered jambs of soft sandstone; segmental inner arch. On the S side is a contemporary round-arched entrance with dressed compound lintel (almost, but not strictly cyclopean), and chamfered jambs. The range originally continued to the L of this, though it now roughly terminates at this point. At the termination can be seen the right-hand jamb of a further former entrance, with the chamfered reveal of a former window above. Recent excavation (11/99) has uncovered a primary cobbled pavement which suggests that there was originally a covered passage, or slype here. Above the intact entrance is a surviving contemporary window. This is a small rectangular light with chamfered jambs. A further window, to the R, also survives, though with altered jambs. Finally there is a similar ground-floor window with chamfered jambs, as before, to the R of centre. All other external openings are mid C20; plain glazing throughout.

Interior

The two eastern bays of the roof have pegged oak trusses (raking struts missing) of late C16 or C17 character; only the fire-damaged principals and purlins survive, the former with (pre-C19) brick infill. All other roof trusses are post-fire replacements of bolted king-post type.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for the special interest of its origins as part of the claustral complex of Denbigh Friary and for the survival of several early Tudor features within its structure.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29481404

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings