Nant-y-Bella Lodge

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the roadside approximately 1km from the Abergele Lodge, on a sloping, partly-wooded site.

History

Castellated gate lodge conceived as one of a series to serve Gwrych Castle. Begun for Lloyd Bamford Hesketh c1819, Gwrych Castle ranks as one of the most important castellated houses of the Picturesque in Britain. The castle and its associated lodges and park walls were designed collaboratively by the client and Thomas Rickman, the architect and architectural theorist. A castellated scheme was prepared by the architect C.A Busby as early as 1814, though this was abandoned by the owner in favour of his own designs. Rickman was consulted from 1816 onwards, producing a full scheme in 1817. The foundation stone was finally laid 1819. Cast iron Perpendicular-style windows from John Cragg's Mersey Iron Foundry (where Rickman had collaborated on his iron churches at Liverpool), were incorporated in the scheme. Hesketh was still producing designs as late as the 1850s, though the main work at the castle was complete by 1822; it is likely, therefore, that the main lodges also belong to this primary phase and were included in the original overall conception.

Exterior

The gate lodge is of local limestone rubble and consists of a main storeyed residential section and a squat cylindrical tower; these are located to the L and R respectively of the driveway. The main part is a square tower with crenellated battlements and a tall cylindrical watch-tower attached to the N at the front. The latter has a double-corbelled upper stage, in imitation of machicolations, and a shallow, conical slate roof; small, brown brick chimney to rear. Pointed-arched window to front with cusped, cast-iron frame (to Rickman's designs and, like other Gwrych detailing, cast at the Mersey Iron Foundry); similar window to inner return of main tower, with Tudor-arched entrance below. A later rubble park boundary wall adjoins the watch tower to the S; a modern storeyed extension adjoins the rear of the main block. The Cylindrical tower, to the N, has a corbelled upper section, though lacks battlements. Half-round stone gatepiers adjoin both this and the watch-tower; the gates are missing.

Reason for designation

Included as a C19 castellated gate lodge associated with the nationally important Picturesque work of Rickman and Hesketh at Gwrych Castle.