Gwrych Estate Boundary Wall from Tan-yr-Ogof to Gwrych Lodge

Cadw's description

Location

Running parallel with the road at the eastern border of the community.

History

Estate boundary wall for 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 in favour of his own designs by the owner. 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. The walls are however, not of one period and represent three or more different campaigns. It is probable that whilst the lower, dado-height sections were put up to define the boundary and link the main lodges already in the earliest phase, the upper wall sections, together with many of the lesser turrets and bastions were added later, some elements even being added well into to the second half of the C19.

Exterior

Long stretch of estate boundary wall, running alongside the road for approximately 1km. Of local limestone rubble construction. The wall commences immediately beyond the easternmost corner turret at Tan-yr-Ogof Lodge. It runs at an average height of approximately 2.5m for roughly 30m; at its starting point is a Tudor-arched entrance with recessed modern steel door. The wall then steps down in two further stages of roughly 30m each to follow the gentle downward incline of the road. The right-hand section of the western part is simply-crenellated, as is the whole of the eastern section. The crenellated wall steps down to a height of about 2.5m to continue as a 'cock-and-hen' coped wall up to where it meets Hen Wrych.

Reason for designation

Included for group value with other listed items on the Gwrych Castle estate which together form one of the finest Picturesque compositions in Britain.