Gwrych Estate Boundary Wall to S side of Abergele Road

Cadw's description

Location

Running parallel with the road westwards from its junction with Rhyd-y-Foel Road.

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 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. 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 roughly .5km. Of local limestone rubble construction. The wall begins at the junction between Abergele Road and Rhyd-y-Foel Road, curving around to follow the latter for some 12m; here it continues beyond a masonry break as a later rubble wall. The principal section bounds Abergele Road. At its beginning there is an inset sandstone milestone, with the much weathered inscription: '(?) - Llanddulas/ St. Asaph - Conway/ Chester - Bangor/ London - Ireland'. The wall is approximately 4.5m in height at this point and continues for some 25m before stepping down by one meter and continuing for another 25; in the centre of this last section is a pointed-arched entrance and a splayed 'arrow-slit' to the R. The wall steps down once more and runs for roughly 150m at a height of 2m; in the centre is a further blocked slit light. Then the wall steps up in 4 stages of 25m each before advancing slightly and continuing for a further 50m as a simply-crenellated wall. It terminates in a much-overgrown corner turret.

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.