Former Llay Hall Collery Engine House

Location

Located in the group of former Llay Hall colliery buildings in use as an industrial estate east of Mold Road. The engine house is a large building at the middle of the group with a smaller wing attached, currently in use as industrial workshops and store

History

Llay Hall Colliery operated from 1877 until 1948. It was sunk by the Llay Hall Coal, Iron and Fireclay Company and worked in association with a fire brick works on the opposite side of the River Alyn. It was nationalised in 1947, but closed soon afterwards, following a serious underground explosion. The buildings accommodated the winding engine for the No 1 shaft together with a fan engine and other equipment.

Exterior

The buildings are of red brick on a blue brick plinth, with a corrugated roof. The windows are round headed with blue brick arches and metal frames with concentrically and radially glazed fanlights. The more northerly part of the building has blue brick and terracotta string courses and eaves cornices. The larger part is a tall gabled structure oriented south-west to north-east. There are three low-level windows to the south-west gable and there were formerly five openings to each side elevation, though one on the north-west side has been replaced with a large sliding door. The roof appears to have been raised at some time and re-covered, and contains a longitudinal raised vent. Inside is a travelling crane by Herbert Morris Ltd. At the north-east is a small square block with a hipped slate roof and high brick parapets which may have been connected with the fan drift. This is adjoined by a wing at right angles oriented north-west to south-east, also with a hipped slate roof, which appears to have housed the fan engines.

Reason for designation

Listed as an unusually complete example of a colliery engine house of complex form, especially rare in North Wales, and for group value with other former colliery buildings nearby.