History

The Bull Hotel is perhaps Denbigh's most renowned and historic inn; together with the Crown, in the eponymous square, it served the needs of the polite visitor during the C18 and C19. In the latter century the Crown gained a reputation for being a Whig (later Liberal) inn, whilst the Bull, as its rival, was usually frequented by those with Tory sympathies. It's origins as a coaching, and later posting inn, probably date back to the C17, although the core of the structure is early Tudor. Former names include the Guildhall Tavern and the Black Bull, although the present name is recorded already in a directory of 1835. During the famous siege of Denbigh castle during the Civil War (1646), the besieging parliamentary Generals Mytton and Myddleton are traditionally said to have established their Head Quarters here. Various letters sent between Mytton 'in Denbigh Towne' and the doughty royalist defender Colonel 'Blue-stockings' Salesbury have survived; in the mid C19 several of these were still in the possession of the landlady of the Bull. The present building consists of a late C16 or early C17 triple-gabled main block, the facade to which is timber-framed (mostly now tile-hung) above a stone ground floor.The core of this building is, however, likely to be earlier: an arched-braced collar truss with attendant windbracing is partly visible in an upper bedroom, suggesting an earlier Tudor core. A fine well staircase of the second-quarter C17 rises full height to the attic floor; this has similar newel-post decoration to the (now fragmentary) contemporary example at the Crown Hotel. The current tradition (already cited by Williams in 1856) that the carved hand which appears on each of the newel posts of the stair represents the badge of the Myddleton family, is based on a misconception. The arms of the Myddletons are the three wolves of Blaidd Rhudd and the presence of a hand (actually the 'Bloody Hand of Ulster') within the achievements merely denotes the baronetcy; it is therefore common to the arms of all families of similar status. Furthermore, the carved hand is actually not a hand but a glove. As Denbigh was one of the leading centres of the glove trade in the C16 and C17, the use of such a motif seems unsurprising.
An adjoining brick range with shaped gable to the front is a late C17 addition. Work is known to have been undertaken in 1666, and an ex-situ date of that year is recorded. In addition, a (now much weathered) stone date plaque appears on the facade, apparently bearing the inscribed date 1666 and the initials E LL (for Lloyd). Until the early years of this century, this wing had an entrance in the R bay with a tall hood canopy, evidently of early C18 date. Within is a fine late C17 oak dogleg stair (opposite the former entrance) and two panelled parlours to the L (now one L-shaped room) with fine, large-field Stuart oak panelling. The Lloyd family were the proprietors of the hotel in the late C19 and early C20; whether they were connected with the E Lloyd responsible for the late C17 work is, however, not known.
The inn was remodelled in the late C19 when the facade was given its present tile-hung appearance; other alterations, including the conversion of the hooded entrance to a window, were carried out early this century.

Exterior

Large gabled inn of 3 storeys with lower rear ranges partly enclosing a courtyard; irregular plan, plain brick chimneys. The building consists of a triple-gabled primary block with large central stack and earlier, timber-framed origins. Adjoining this to the L is a late C17 brick addition with shaped gable; slate roofs throughout. The main section has a ground floor of rough-dressed lime-and sandstone with timber-framed upper storeys, those of the outer bays tile-hung. The central bay is advanced and has 4 stone steps up to a porch entrance with moulded wooden cornice and recessed, fielded panelled door. Crenellated stone brattishing above, at the termination of the stone ground floor. Above the entrance, on the first floor, is a large wrap-around glazed bay, with 5-light mullioned and transomed window to the front and cross-windows to the returns. The second floor is jettied and has expressed decorative timber framing with similar gable. This is mostly late C19, though incorporates some primary strapwork elements; 3-light leaded casement windows and decorative bargeboards to deep verges. The outer bays have tripartite late Georgian sash windows to the ground and first floors, with 12-pane unhorned central sections and narrow flanking 4-pane sections; those to the ground floor have segmental rough-dressed relieving arches. The second floor has a single 9-pane sash to each bay. Whitened rubble side (R) elevation, with asymmetrical windows including sashes, casements and a large segmentally-arched 3-light leaded window to the stairwell.
The C17 adjoining wing is of brown brick with sandstone quoining on a chamfered limestone plinth; shaped and kneelered gable with stone ball finials. The upper gable is plastered and has the painted inscription 'Bull Hotel'. Three plain sashes to the ground and first floors (that to the R on the ground floor formerly an entrance). These have projecting stone sills and flat stone arches. In the centre, above those to the ground floor, is an inset sandstone plaque with weathered inscription (1666 ELL). The first floor windows have a continuous iron balcony with simple decorative iron balustrade. Large 4-light mullioned and transomed window to the second floor, with bracketed wooden label and balcony as before; plain modern glazing. Projecting lateral chimney to the side (L) elevation, with further sash windows and leaded, wooden mullioned window facing Park Street, an early C20 replacement.
Set back and adjoining this wing to the L is a covered brick gateway block with slated roof. This has an open lower storey forming a tunnel entrance through to the inn's rear courtyard. Wooden cross-window (plain-glazed) above the entrance.
The rear of the main section has 3 gables of whitened rubble; that to the brick wing has its brickwork exposed and has a projecting end chimney with off-set dentil-course. An C18 storeyed block with former tunnel entrance adjoins the rear of the primary block to the L; windows include a 16-pane late C18 unhorned sash. Adjoining this to rear is a later L-shaped range with 4 early C20 garage insertions to its main face. Modern single-storey additions to the rear of the main sections.

Interior

The interior layout has been altered this century with the removal of partitions to the main ground-floor bar area. Old boarded floor to the left-hand section of the present public bar (in the primary block); rough, chamfered main lateral beams. To the rear of the right-hand gabled section is a fine full-height narrow well stair of second quarter C17 date. This has a moulded rail and strapwork relief carving to broad strings; square newel posts with relief-carved glove motifs and that to the lower flight with additional S-carved decoration. The newels have rounded cappings, although one surviving geometric pendant (lower flight) suggests that there were originally, as one would expect, further pendants and geometric finials; flat, carved, shaped balusters. In a modern rear addition is a well with circular rubble parapet wall. This was formerly external, within the courtyard, and presumably belongs to the primary period. In a first-floor bedroom can be seen evidence of an arch-braced collar truss roof with cusped windbracing (wall-papered over).
The C17 brick wing has a good late C17 oak dogleg staircase rising through to the second floor; this has turned balusters and square, flat-capped newels with C20 ball finials. What originally served as a large front parlour and a smaller rear parlour now form a large L-shaped dining room. The walls to both are lined with late C17 large-field panelling, with fielded panels in polished oak; panelled shutters and reveals and associated window seats. Each of the former rooms has a contemporary bolection-moulded stone fireplace (with modern paint finish).

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II* for its special interest as an important and historic coaching inn with good external character and fine C17 interior detail.
Group value with other listed items in Hall Square and Park Street.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17741034

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

• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)