2 Grosvenor Road

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently sited on the corner with Regent Street.

History

Built c1870, possibly to designs of J. R. Gummow, the local architect responsible for much of the suburban development of the town in the latter part of the C19.

Exterior

Simplified Italianate villa style. Brick with some ashlar dressings, and slate roof. 2 storeys, 3 window range to entrance front facing Grosvenor Road, with central entrance and advanced outer gables, and 3 window range to Regent Street with advanced central gable. Entrance in narrow central bay, recessed in porch with coupled rusticated and panelled pilasters supporting entablature. Canted stone bay windows in advanced outer gables, with 2-pane full-height sashes; 2-pane sash windows in stone architraves to upper storey, with stone sill band continuing across return elevations. Gables are pedimented by painted modillion cornice, which continues across central bay. Return elevation to Regent Street has pedimented central gable, the cornice continuing across a full-height canted stone bay window which has shallow segmentally arched lights with keystones and bracketted sills. Flanking windows in moulded stone architraves, segmentally arched to ground floor. Opposite return elevation is similar, but without the central bay window.
Axial stacks towards rear of advanced gabled wings are both truncated, but rear wall stacks both retain oversailing stone caps.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good example of the villa building which was such a notable feature of Wrexham's late C19 development, and for its prominent siting on the edge of the town centre.

Group value with No. 1 Grosvenor Road, and with the Roman Catholic Cathedral opposite.