Pen-y-bont Brick and Tile Co Office

Cadw's description

Location

The office stands guarding the entrance to the former brickworks, approximately 600m E of Newbridge.

History

The exploitation of brick clays for pottery in this area can be traced back to at least 1671 when Stephen Samuel supplied coarse domestic kitchen-wares to the Castle. A brickworks was established by a William Davies in c1830 after the arrival of the canal. It was bought out by Thomas Ward of Plas Kinaston in the 1850s, the business expanding from 2 kilns to 40 from 1865 under J Coster Edwards, who linked it by tramway to Irish Bridge. The huge clay pit was worked by cable haulage powered from a large stationery steam engine. As the Pen-y-bont Brick and Tile Company, under J C Edwards, a pioneer of large scale terra-cotta production, it produced 'Ruabon Red' ridge tiles, encaustic tiles, chimney pots and clayware in a variety of decorative forms. In later years, it concentrated on making quarry tiles and fittings, and was gradually eclipsed by the better located Ruabon and Buckley works. Production ceased in 1961, whereafter the huge clay pit became a landfill site administered by Shanks & McEwan, whose offices the building now is. The office building was probably erected c1880, employing some of the firm's products.

Exterior

Built of locally produced hard red brick, with red roof tiling and crestings. Single storey range ending in a round corner tower, which is crowned by a conical roof and clayware finial. The paired windows have orange terracotta ogee-heads within a moulded arch, and terracotta sills and a frieze of moulded terracotta rinceau scroll encircles the tower beneath the eaves. The end window has a protruding sill.

Interior

Arched entrance to the hallway, with a green glazed tile dado and reception window on the right with ogee head similarly detailed to the external windows. Coloured mosaic floor.

Reason for designation

Included as the only surviving building from the renown J C Edwards brickworks, and one specificially designed to display the firm's products to the best advantage. A significant survival from what was formerly an important industry of the area