Former Heaton Town House (currently premises of Whiteheads Blinds and Happy Homes Furniture)

Cadw's description

Location

On the street line.

History

Grand third-quarter C18 town house, built for the Heaton Family, one of the principal gentry families in the locality. The house, long known as Ty Mawr, served as the family's main Denbighshire residence during the period when they were based in London, prior to their purchase of Plas Heaton in 1805; subsequently it became their dower house. The house was sold c1861 to Thomas Gee, the notable publisher and printer, who divided the ground floor into shops.

Exterior

Elegant and substantial Georgian townhouse, marred by unsympathetic shop fronts. Of squared, coursed limestone blocks with hipped slate roof; 3 storeys with (originally) symmetrical 5-bay facade. This has an advanced central 3 bay section with surmounting, heavily-moulded pediment; associated moulded cornice with leaded parapet. The second floor retains its original unhorned 16-pane sashes, except to the far L, where replaced by a modern 12-pane tilting assimilation. The first floor has tall segmentally-headed windows, of which that to the centre is boarded and those to the R have 6-pane C20 glazing. The 2 left-hand bays have elegant wooden rectangular oriels with 15-pane unhorned sashes to the front, moulded cornices and hipped roofs. These are alterations of the second quarter C19. Creasing above the corresponding 2 right-hand bays indicates that these formerly also had such oriels. Broad sill-bands to the upper floors. Three modern shop fronts occupy the ground floor.

Interior

Two C19 plain stick baluster staircases lead to the first floor, one continuing to the second with a returned balustrade at the top; otherwise modernised interiors.

Reason for designation

Listed for the special interest of its origins as an elegant and ambitious third-quarter C18 town house, retaining good original character to the upper floors.

Group value with other listed items in Vale Street; one of a number of fine town houses in this street, historically regarded as the gentry and professional quarter of the town.