Hendre-fawr

Location

Located on fertile drained flat lands between Abergele and Rhuddlan, and accessed by a farm road, 1m E of Abergele.

History

A major house of the area, probably built or radically altered by the Holland family of Fadre in the early C17. A wall-painting over the corner fireplace in the upper chamber has the Holland arms, and is dated 1636, whilst an inscription below reads ANNO DOMINI 1633 / H / R I. This is attributed to the marriage of Roger and Jane Holland, who died in 1642 and 1641 respectively.

Exterior

Large farmhouse built of rubble stone and slate roofs. Two storey, cellars and attics, 'L'-plan, comprising a main range running NW-SE, with a cross wing, at the NW end, and a stair tower in the re-entrant angle. The main front faces the farmyard, with a Denbighshire cyclopean door with depressed arch, and a C19 studded door with lights. The parlour end, probably added slghtly later, at the SE, has large mullioned and transomed ovolo-moulded stone cross windows with cornices on both floors. The rear 4-light window to the hall has Tudor-arched lights, with blind sunk spandrels. The cross wing has stone chamfered mullioned windows, 3-light windows to all 3 floors, all with relieving arches, and on the NW return three small gables with 2-light windows. On the ground floor, the kitchen has a hollow chamfered 3-light window. To the rear, the gabled stair tower has 2 levels of mullioned and transomed windows, as the parlour end, with an altered window at the bottom. Large lateral part-external stack to the parlour end, shouldered below the eaves and arising to a stone flue.

The former formal garden at the front is raised either side of the axial path, the retaining wall having a very weathered date stone reading K P / 16...8?

Interior

The kitchen occupies the rear end of the cross wing, with two service rooms to the front. It retains a very large stone-arched fireplace (blocked) on the SW gable end. The central hall leads to the present drawing room in the former parlour; the ceiling of which is divided into four panels, with a plastered cornice in each. It has its major lateral fireplace covered over. The upper chamber has a painted coat-of-arms on the chimney breast; a lion rampant on a white field, with a semy of lys surrounded by blue coloured strapwork, and the date 1636 below. Below the moulded stone mantle there is a cut inscription and date on the stone fire lintel. Many of the upper floor rooms have original plaster ceilings with hand-moulded cornices, and a moulded ceiling beam in the rear wing. The wing is of 3 bays at roof level. Trusses have double collars and raking struts, and support 3 tiers of purlins. The roof of the main range is of 4 bays, with small angled windbraces.

Reason for designation

Included at Grade II* as being a farm of major importance in the area, which has a particularly well preserved interior of the early C17.