Nos 15 & 17 Portland Place (partly the premises of 'Poppies')

Cadw's description

Location

On the street-line.

History

Late C18 or early C19 stone-built inn, formerly the 'Chirk Castle Hotel', incorporating the late medieval undercroft of the former Chapel of St Anne. According to John Leland, writing in the 1530s: 'there is a chappelle of ease in the midle of the new towne of S. Anne. One Fleming was the builder of this, and yet it is caullid Capelle Fleming, and is of good largenes'. The chapel was a slated stone structure and adjoined an associated almshouse range, apparently of the same foundation. Both were dismantled in the 1550s by Robert Dolben the younger, according to a survey of Denbigh taken in 1561.

Exterior

Large 3-storey former inn of roughly squared limestone with slate roof; 2-stage brick end chimney to the R, the upper stage a late C19 raising. The ground floor has an entrance to the L section with original 6-panel door and 2-pane rectangular overlight. To the L of this is a primary window opening with 6-pane modern glazing; dressed limestone voussoirs to flat-arched heads. The centre of the elevation is occupied by a shop front ('Poppies') which has a plain shop window to the R of a recessed entrance and a further entrance to the L. The whole is advanced slightly and contained below a unifying fascia with moulded and dentilated cornice. The entrances are plain and part-glazed, that to the L modern and with 3-pane overlight. To the R of the shop section is a depressed open arch giving onto a passageway leading to the rear of the building; modern iron half-gates. Beyond this is a narrow end bay with original, near-flush, 12-pane unhorned sash window; voussoirs as before. The first and second floors have similar original windows in 3 equally-spaced bays, those to the first 12 paned and those to the second of 9 panes; projecting stone sills throughout.

Interior

No.15 has two full-height original narrow well staircases with stick balusters and shaped tread ends; boxed beams to the ground floor. No.17 (Poppies) has an unvaulted medieval undercroft, partly rock-cut, with rubble walls and an original flight of 9 stone steps.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a late Georgian former inn with well-preserved external character, incorporating the undercroft of the former medieval chapel of St Anne.