Abbotsfield Priory Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

On the corner of Rhosddu Road and Grosvenor Road.

History

Built as a house in 1863, by J. C. Gummow, architect, for Mr. Edward Jones, and now in use as a hotel.

Exterior

Coursed and squared tooled sandstone, and slate roof with scalloped bands and ridge cresting. Gothic style. 2 storeys, L-plan, with entrance towards centre in angle of wing. Asymmetrically gabled entrance porch with polished granite shafts to deep moulded arch and text, 'Trust in God' engraved on scroll over it. Advanced wing to left of doorway, with canted bay window with lean-to stone roof and trefoiled mullioned lights to lower floor, 2-light Decorated window above, with blind trefoil in apex of gable, which is surmounted by a wrought iron finial. Right of the entrance, a single lancet window between buttresses to ground floor, and paired steep dormer gables above, one with 2-light decorated window, the other with cusped trefoiled light. Gable copings with moulded kneelers. Principal windows to these rooms are in gable return, with 3-light foiled mullioned window below relieving arch to ground floor, and oriel window above. Beyond this gable, a canted full-height bay projects, with trefoiled mullioned lower windows and Decorated window above, set beneath steep dormer gable. Side wall stacks to gabled wing, and axial stack to rear of main range.

Interior

The building substantially retains its original layout, and several original details also survive including the encaustic tiled entrance hall and the staircase with quatrefoil and rosette panels between heavy newels.

Reason for designation

Although the building has been extended in connection with its present use, the original structure is still clearly articulated, and stands as a good example of the work of Gummow in the gothic style.