Abbey House

Cadw's description

Location

At the end of, and at right-angles with the road.

History

Second-half C18 town house built adjacent to the former Carmelite Friary and incorporating part of an earlier (though probably C17) structure in a service block adjoining to the rear. The building also incorporates material salvaged from the Friary ruins. The quoins in particular are of a characteristic greenish sandstone extensively used in Denbigh in the late C13 and C14. The house was cosmetically remodelled in the early C20 when the facade acquired its porch and decorative stucco.

Exterior

Late Georgian 3-storey, 3-bay house, of brick and rubble construction with scribed, rendered facade and roughcast sides; hipped slate roof with tiled ridges and plain, rendered end chimneys. The facade is symmetrical and has a central entrance via an early C20 wooden porch. This has a tripartite, part-glazed entrance arrangement with central door and leaded overlights. 12-pane unhorned sashes to the ground and first floors, with an early C20 wooden cross-window to the central first-floor bay, the latter with plain glazing; 9-pane sashes to the second floor. The windows have ribbed stucco surrounds with projecting tripartite keystone sections. Moulded sill course to the ground floor and dentilated eaves and sill courses to the first and second floors; dressed sandstone quoins (reused medieval material). The R (S) side has a 12-pane sash with segmentally-arched head and a C20 cross window and a modern entrance to the R; primary 9-pane sash to the first floor. The rear has a modern window to the ground floor with a 12-pane and a 6-pane sash to the first and second floors respectively, together with a further modern window to the latter.
A lower L-shaped storeyed service addition adjoins to the rear; construction as before, though incorporating earlier elements. Plain casements with segmental heads, and an entrance on the N side via a single-storey C20 porch, extruded in the angle with the main block. A single-storey brick lean-to adjoins to the NE.

Interior

Entrance hall with late Victorian encaustic tiled floor and staircase leading off; moulded architraves and 4-panel Victorian doors. The stair is a full-height narrow well type, with columnar newels and stick balusters of pine. The rear (service) section has some rough exposed beams of C17 character. Early C20 fireplaces, including a good lugged wooden one in late C17 style to the principal first floor room.
Contemporary brick-vaulted 2-bay wine cellar, now accessed externally from the garden; some slate bins.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a C18 house retaining good external character, including original fenestration and later decorative stucco. Of interest also for its incorporation of materials derived from the adjacent Friary.