St Giles House

Cadw's description

Location

Set back from the road in its own grounds, near the junction with Park Avenue.

History

Built as a children's home in 1913 by the church of England Waifs and Strays Society (which later became The Church of England Children's Society), and now used as an educational resources centre for the diocese of Saint Asaph. Designed by J. H. Swainson of Wrexham and officially opened in 1915, replacing an earlier building on Chester Street which had been opened in 1902.

Exterior

Brick and roughcast render, with plain tiled roofs. Neo-vernacular style. 2 storeyed with attics, the building is symmetrically planned with a short entrance range and 4 'butterfly' radial wings. Entrance front: Shallow projecting porch with segmentally arched doorway, and roughcast rendered panel recessed between brick pilasters above, with 20-pane sash window below steep gablet. Stair window to the left of the entrance, mullioned and transomed with leaded lights. 3-light stone mullioned window to right of entrance, with paired sashes above. 3 dormers in the roof above, that to centre segmentally arched. Wings each side at obtuse angles, each with triple sash windows of 18 and 24-panes and flat arched gauged brick heads on each floor, with dormer gable over central upper window. In plan, these wings are double-pile, and they terminate to the front in single storeyed ranges built parallel with the entrance range, and housing kitchen services in right hand wing, former coach house to left. Rear is similarly planned, with short central range (housing office accommodation) with canted bay window to ground floor and paired sash windows above, then 2 obtuse angled wings, articulated by pilaster buttresses. Right hand wing has paired lower windows (18 and 24-pane sashes) and similar windows above. The left hand wing is similar, but terminates in a 3-bay loggia with segmentally arched arcading. 3 gabled dormers in the roof to each side.

Interior

The original layout is still clearly visible, and comprised office accommodation in the central entrance range, with kitchens etc in front right hand wing, and offices etc. To left. Dining room and play room occupied the rear wings, with the dormitories above.

Reason for designation

The building is of considerable interest as a purpose-designed children's home of the early C20.