Wood House

Cadw's description

Location

Situated c1.3 km SW of Marchwiel at the end of a track which runs W off Woodhouse Lane.

History

House with possibly C16 origins, remodelled C17, early C19 and C20. Successive alterations make the history difficult to retrieve but it seems that an early house with screens passage was substantially altered late C17, a range added to the front is of early C19 character but interior ceiling beams suggest it incorporated part of an earlier building. The exterior was rendered and substantially refenestrated, various interior alterations made, and the house divided into 2 dwellings, late C20.

Exterior

Rendered brick, slate roof hipped to front range, rendered brick chimneys. Symmetrical 2-storey 3-window front elevation with central door with fanlight. Low extension attached to right hand side. To the rear is a range running at right-angles, this is of 2 storeys and 3 windows with an off-centre hipped porch right hand return side and a projecting wing.

Interior

Main entrance leads to hall with open-string stair with wreathed handrail and slender balusters, ceiling has decorative plaster rose. Doors lead off to a room on each side with boxed and plastered ceiling beams; that to the right has plasterwork frieze and decoration to soffit of beam with guilloche motifs, that to left similar plasterwork with vine motifs. Rear range has room with pair of doors with false Tudor arches in the timber framing of the wall shared with C19 range. Heavy ovolo-moulded ceiling beam and a fireplace with possibly reset stone lintel which has the letters: EIR 1692. Entrance door of early C18 character probably reset. A further room has narrow stair leading up. Partial inspection of interior at time of 1996 survey.

Reason for designation

Listed notwithstanding external alterations for the special interest of surviving interior features of late C17 and early C19 date, and for evidence of a complex history of development possibly dating from C16.