Gwylfa

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in New Brighton towards the centre of the highest level of houses on the hillside overlooking Minera.

History

Mine-workers house of c1865, part of New Brighton for which 24 plots were sold in 1865 by the trustees of the Chester Charities. Of the 24 sold, 4 plots were used for pubs. This part of Minera parish known as 'City Lands' was beqeathed by Owen Jones (d1659), a butcher of Chester, to 'the poor of every Company of Merchants and Craftsmen in the City of Chester'. The area was agricultural land until the mid-C18 when a trustee of the charity, Alderman Richardson, encouraged lead prospecting so successfully that between 1761 and 1781 some £13,000 were paid to the charity in royalties.

Exterior

House, rubble stone with slate close-eaved roof and rendered brick end stacks. Two storeys, double-fronted. Windows are large 16-pane hornless sashes with stone sills. Four panel door with single overlight. Ground floor windows and door have large shaped stone lintels.
Single-storey slate-roofed outbuilding to right stepped back from house front. Single-pitch roof, boarded door to extreme left and central C20 window.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-preserved example of a later C19 house connected with the Minera lead mines, historically important with others in this industrial settlement pattern.