Secondary House at Plas Heaton Farm

Location

Located in the farmyard to the S of the main house.

History

Plas Heaton Farm is the former seat of the Heaton family who moved to nearby Plas Newydd (subsequently renamed Plas Heaton) c1805. The Heatons have a long association with the area: Alexander Heaton, of Heaton in Lancashire, was one of the knights who came to Denbigh with Henry de Lacy in the 1290s. To the rear of the main house are traces of a moat (now much in-filled), which, together with a second moat, a short distance to the SE, may relate to this early period. This building is a storeyed domestic range, probably of the late C16, and represents the secondary house in a unit-planned complex. Of particular interest are the crow-stepped gables, doubtless inspired by those which graced the three houses built by Sir Richard Clough on his return from Antwerp in the late 1560s (Bach-y-Graig, Plas Clough and Plas Coch). Later alterations include a large C19 oven projection to the house-facing gable and a (probably contemporary) external stone stair giving access to the upper floor on the opposite gable end; the building is currently used as a store.

Exterior

Storeyed house of limestone rubble construction with remains of limewash to the rear; medium-pitched slate roof with kneelered crow-stepped gables to either end, having slate copings and ball finials (formerly) to both ends. Squat (reduced) chimney to the L gable with later, probably early C19 semi-circular oven projection below, the latter slated. The farmyard-facing side has 2 entrances with boarded doors, with a reduced former entrance between, now a 3-light modern window; small light to the R of this, essentially primary, though with some alteration. To the R is a blocked opening and a modern steel-framed window beyond. Two C20 gabled dormers to the attic floor, with plain wooden casement windows; boarded loading bay to the R with small, reduced primary light beyond, tucked under the eaves.

The rear side retains evidence for all of its original openings. The upper floor has a blocked window to the L and a (partly-reduced) 3-light wooden mullioned window to the R of centre. The ground floor has 3 blocked-up windows, each formerly with 3 mullions, with expressed timber lintels and pegged frames. To the far R is a partly-blocked 5-light mullioned and transomed wooden window with similar frame and lintel; off-set mullions. Boarded entrance to the S gable end with a flight of stone steps leading to a first-floor boarded entrance in pegged frame; C19 brick and rubble lean-to flush with the front.

Interior

Large fireplace with flat, stopped-chamfered bressummer to the L (N) ground floor room, with stopped-chamfered ceiling beams and an old ladder stair to the L of the breast. Mortising evidence to a lateral beam shows this to have been a former post-and-panel partition; C20 brick wall immediately beyond. The remainder of the ground floor has its ceiling beams obscured; modern brick supporting pillar to the central room. Four-bay part-open roof with original pegged collar and raking strut trusses; former partition truss visible at the N end.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a late C16 stepped-gabled storeyed house retaining very good external original character and of particular interest as an early example of Unit Planning.

Group value with Plas Heaton Farm.