The Vicarage

Cadw's description

Location

On a commanding site overlooking the Vale of Clwyd, 1km SW of St Dyfnog's church on the outskirts of the small village; accessed via its own drive leading SE from a lane running W towards Prion.

History

Regency rectory of c1820, restored by R B Heaton, 1960-61.

Exterior

Two-storey Regency rectory, consisting of a square main block with gabled crosswing to the rear. Of squared, dressed limestone blocks with plain stringcourse between the floors on the principal sides. Shallow-pitched, hipped slate roof with deep eaves; large central chimney. 3-bay symmetrical facade with advanced central bay and advanced corners, giving a clasping buttress effect whilst recessing the outer bays. C20 enclosed, glazed timber porch to central (entrance) bay, with slated roof carried forward and supported on plain pillars; three-quarter-glazed double inner doors. Slightly-recessed tripartite sash windows flank the entrance, with 16-pane central and 4-pane outer sections. 9-pane sashes to the first floor, that to the R an unhorned original; projecting stone sills throughout.

The R (NE) side has 16-pane French windows to the ground floor, with a 9-pane sash above. To the R is the gabled crosswing, which projects slightly on this and the corresponding SW side; openings as before. The SW side formerly had a similar ground-floor opening, now walled-in, and has a 9-pane sash to the first floor. The cross-wing has a tripartite window, as before, to the ground floor, and a 12-pane sash to the first. Two plain sashes and a modern window to the rear elevation. A single-storey, hipped-roofed service wing adjoins this elevation at right-angles to the NW. This was formerly a storeyed range and is an addition. It has an entrance with C20 door to the L and a 6-pane C20 window to the R. The SW side of this block has an 8-pane casement with a 9-pane sash beyond.

Interior

Entrance hall with elegant curving staircase; mahogany rail, columnar newel and stick balusters, with gallery continuation to first floor. Regency-type architraves with foliated corner bosses and 6-panel doors; simply-moulded plaster cornices. The wall dividing the hall from the former dining room (R) has been largely removed in the early C20 and has a wide, moulded, depressed-arched opening, which effectively gives spacial unity between the two, formerly separate, areas.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a Regency rectory retaining good original character.

Group value with the Agricultural Range at the Vicarage.