History

Late C18 house of the Edwards family, with earlier core of c1700; dated 1783 and 1787 for Edward Edwards (d.1816) and his wife Lowry (d.1807). The latter date is accompanied by the builders' initials on the date-stone, E and L E. Edward Edwards served as High Sheriff of Denbighshire in the year of his death. The house was altered and extended in the early C19, probably by his daughter (d.1859) and son-in-law, William Williams Edwards (d.1829). A modern extension, occupying the site of a section demolished earlier this century, was under construction at time of survey.

Exterior

Medium-sized, 2-storey country house. Of brick construction with scribed stucco to the main elevations and plain, rendered chimneys; hipped slate roofs, that to the principal section with deep, feathered eaves. The house consists of a main 3-bay block with lower service ranges adjoining to the R and rear around a small light-well. The main section has a symmetrical facade with an advanced central (entrance) bay. This has a shallow gable with deep verges, and has a stone plaque inset in the apex bearing the initials E E and L, together with the date 1787. C20 arched, boarded double doors to the entrance, with 6-panel door within, having narrow, flanking 4-pane sections, these and the latter part-glazed. In front of the entrance is an early C20 tetrastyle portico with slender Tuscan columns supporting a flat roof with moulded and dentilated cornice; modern flanking urn finials. Primary 12-pane recessed, unhorned sashes to both floors, those to the ground floor and above the entrance with C20 8-pane outer casement sections; projecting stone sills. The SE elevation of the main block (to the L) is of 3 bays, the two right-hand bays having a similar portico projection and the left-hand bay being recessed; windows and secondary glazing as before.

Adjoining the facade of the main block to the R is a single-storey dining room block with hipped-roofed, canted bay; 8-pane sashes with 8-pane outer casements, that to the R extended full-length to 10 panes in a French window arrangement. Hipped return (NW) with 8-pane sash plus casement, as before. Adjoining this to the R, and advanced slightly in front of it, is a 2-storey, 2-bay section, hipped and stuccoed in the same manner. This has a shaved left-hand corner to the ground floor with an 8-pane glazed entrance; plain 2-pane later C19 sash above. The R bay is occupied by a 2-storey canted bay with 8-pane sashes and narrow 4-pane side sections.

The rear of the main block is roughcast and has asymmetrically-placed windows. These include a near-flush 16-pane sash and a 9-pane round-arched window with intersecting tracery lights. Adjoining to the L and advanced at right-angles with the latter, is a 2-bay section of a partly-demolished wing, the lost section of which was undergoing reconstruction at time of survey. Its (original) SW side has two 8-pane casements and a 12-pane sash to its first floor. Between the former is a reset, renewed stone plaque with the carved initials E, E and L, together with the date 1783. The ground floor has a modern conservatory (partly overlapping the rear of the main block), with associated verandah; modern part-glazed doors within.

Interior

Double-width entrance hall (formerly divided) with twin arches off to rear; plain architraves and cornice. Adamesque fireplace of grey figured marble to the drawing room (leading off to the L); plain cornice, 6-panel door. Double-doors lead from the hall to the former dining room. This has a Regency reeded doorcase, a plasterwork cornice with palmette decoration and an Adam-style plasterwork ceiling rose. Classical chimneypiece of white and grey marble with relief-carved frieze decoration. Leading off from the hall to the rear is a service corridor and the principal stair; of dogleg type with mahogany rail, stick balusters and oak treads and risers.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as a late Georgian country house retaining good original external character.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29499402

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

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
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  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
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  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
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  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
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  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5