History

Ruthin Castle, begun in 1277, was bought by Sir Richard Myddelton in the C17. In 1825-6, a house was built over the SW part of the ruins by Frederick West who had married into the Myddleton family; medieval fabric was reused. Their son commissioned a major remodelling and enlargement of the house in 1849-52: Henry Clutton was appointed architect on the recommendation of William Dugdale, the historian. In 1851 William Burges entered Clutton's office and worked with him on the interior 1851-56, designing furniture and fittings which were then made up by W Caldecott. J G Crace (Pugin's partner) may have been employed for the decorating. Cost £12,000. Later, when the family name was Cornwallis West, Ruthin Castle was widely known in Edwardian Society. It was enlarged to the W in a conversion to a clinic in 1920, becoming a hotel in 1963.

Exterior

Enlargement in various phases has resulted in a vast building comprising a tall N/S main block, including an octagonal tower, with lower L-plan wing to W and corridor link with square tower to E, attached to which is both a canted wing and a N/S wing with clocktower. The E (early C19) parts are in a simple Picturesque style while the mid C19 work is more Tudor Gothic. Castellated, 2- or 3-storey. White limestone rubble to earlier work and coursed red sandstone with mullioned and transomed windows to the later work. Original building consisted of 2 seperate blocks bridged by a narrow link, with Picturesque 'gateway' beneath corridor. The mid C19 work completely remodelled the L-hand block, enlarging and refronting it but retaining some of the 1826 masonry to the E side. The result is an original but austere 3-storey entrance front characterised by blank walling and early C16-style oriel windows to centre and across the canted angles. The lights have chamfered arched heads and sunk spandrels, those to 1st floor transomed. Moulded 4-centred-arched entrance offset to R, with hoodmould with heraldic animals to end stops. R-hand return has single lancets to each storey; this joins limestone walling of early C19 construction, 5-window with red sandstone dressings as mid C19 front, including 2- and 3-light transomed windows with hexagonal leaded glazing to ground floor and R end, and oriel window to centre. W elevation is 4-window, of red sandstone with grouped terracotta chimneys; mullioned and transomed windows under square hoodmoulds, some with carved endstops; 2-storey canted bay 2nd from R and an ogee doorway to L, inserted into a 4-light window. Attached to L, an octagonal 4-storey tower with similar windows and rear vice-turret. Rear elevation is 3-window with canted angles, to L of tower.

Earlier E block has 3-storey square tower at a skewed angle, with red sandstone dressings to 3- and 5-light transomed windows. Stepped down to L is corridor link with main range, with 2 small casement windows. These are over a pointed-arched gateway with flanking pedestrian doorways, the latter blocked with stone, providing access to rear gardens. Its rear has a gothic-glazed window to corridor, and a stair turret in L angle supported on cusped sandstone brackets. To NE the character and plan are Picturesque Gothic, 2-storey range stepping back, with 2-light wooden casements with gothic glazing under high square hoodmoulds. Joining its E side is a long screen wall fronting a walkway with pointed-arched doorways and roundels. This 2-storey range returns to the N and terminates in a broached octagonal tower to which Clutton added a red sandstone clock stage. Continuing to N, irregular 1-storey and attic ranges, with 1825-dated rainwater heads; to L, a block with 3 wide Tudor-arched openings, infilled with a doorway to L and windows to R and centre; low octagonal tower of red sandstone at R end. Rear of 2-storey range has gothic-glazed windows as front, and a canted bay of red sandstone to R end; alterations to rear of 1-storey ranges.

Adjoining the NW angle of the main block, adjacent to the octangonal tower, is a later L-shaped 2-storey range in Tudor Gothic style, of limestone with red sandstone mullioned and transomed windows. The range facing W is 2-window, main range facing S is 6-window with large full-height canted bay of red sandstone 2nd from R. Similar window detail to rear, and tall slender polygonal tower attached to rear wall at R end. Further L-shaped range, probably c1920, set down at right-angles to L, roughcast to E side with gothic-style wooden casement windows; its S end has red sandstone windows as elsewhere.

Interior

The interiors of the main block are mostly in a Tudor and High Victorian Gothic style with fine fireplaces (those to hall and Cornwallis Room probably by Burges) and doorcases, some with ogee heads and bell bases; panelled and ribbed ceilings; 6-panel doors with cross-over ribbing. The inner porch leads into a lobby, beyond which is a hall, now reception. Beyond this is a rectangular inner hall with staircase leading off its R-hand (E) side; 2 doorways to rear of this hall lead to the library and Cornwallis room (originally the dining room), whilst a further doorway to the SW leads into the Solar (Drawing Room). The lobby contains a screen with octagonal central pier and foliage cresting. The reception hall has a square-panelled ceiling with quatrefoil bosses; painted stone fireplaceto E with coats of arms and flanking timber colonnettes, and wainscott panelling. Inner hall has a stellar-ribbed ceiling and medievalist wooden fireplace; staircase rises beneath an archway on E side and has low quatrefoil-pierced balustrading with deeply hollowed handrails. Solar to SW has ornate pink and gilded ribbing to ceiling and a coved cornice; some similar style fixtures and a heavily embellished late Gothic timber fireplace by Wynne and Lumsden; the decoration in this room is in Crace's style. Cornwallis room to NE has been narrowed to create a corridor to later wing but retains ribbed ceiling and stone fireplace, probably by Burges. The fireplace is of unusual design with carved tree trunk trailing around it, naturalistic panels and two large roundels containing sheep and boar heads. On the W side of the corridor is the fine octagonal Library with wainscott panelling and ceiling panelled with squares and octagons.

Access to the earlier parts of the building is along a winding corridor to L of staircase. The character quickly becomes Gothic with 4-centred-arched doorways, cusped and panelled doors and shutters, some Gothic fanlights, ribbed vaulted ceilings. Stone flagged floors to far end and introduced Jacobethan fireplace in Board room. At the far end is the banqueting hall, open to roof with large trusses, probably C19, jesters gallery beyond fireplace and stone flagged floor.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* for its higly picturesque architectural character and for the special interest of its High Victorian interiors which are amongst the earliest domestic work in which the architect and designer, William Burgess, is known to have been involved. Group value with other listed items at Ruthin Castle Hotel, and an impressive component of Ruthin's skyline.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742385

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

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  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)