Offices and Lodge to Wrexham Lager Brewery

Cadw's description

Location

At the entrance to Wrexham Larger Brewery.

History

Brewery office building, built C1881. According to an article in the Wrexham Advertiser, 20/10/1883, the brewery was built from plans of Mr Stanislav Fenzl, its first manager. The office building is the only part of the original brewery layout which survives substantially in its original condition. First brewed on this site in 1882, Wrexham Larger was the first to be brewed in Great Britain.

Exterior

Brick and half-timbering with stone dressings and slate roof with terracotta cresting. 2 storeyed, L-plan with shorter parallel range and canted full-height bay occupying angle. North wing has half-timbered upper storey, with quatrefoil panels in jettied gable apex. 3 sash windows with small upper panels to ground floor, and wood mullioned and transomed windows in slightly advanced cases in upper storey. Shorter range against inner return of this wing is brick, with similar sash windows (the upper window renewed) in north elevation, and cylindrical corner tower with stone bands and narrow mullioned windows with round-arched lower, and ogee upper lights. Leaded glazing and stained glass. Conical roof surmounted by wrought iron weather vane. East wing has 2-storyed squared bay window paired sash windows with small upper panes, and quatrefoil panelling in gable apex above. Full-height canted bay projects from north elevation of this wing, with lower sash windows, and narrow mullioned windows with round arched and ogee lights above. Axial stacks in all wings.

Reason for designation

A good example of late C19 commercial architecture, in which aspects of the design are used to suggest the character of the product.