Summerhouse in the garden of Grovehurst

Cadw's description

Location

In the garden of Grovehurst.

History

Garden tower built c1693 in the former pleasure garden of Grove House, a fine town house which survives on Vale Street. In that year Thomas and Ellen Shaw remodelled the Elizabethan Grove House, erecting a grand new facade and making various internal changes. The surviving garden tower is presumably contemporary with this work and, together with a series of enclosing walls (and apparently also terraces), originally formed part of an associated late Stuart garden. Thomas Shaw was Recorder of Denbigh; he died in 1717.

The tower is interesting in that it is a dual-purpose structure. The principal storey, raised up above a storage basement, would have served as a summer house or banqueting chamber, and would have afforded fine views across the Vale of Clwyd, thereby serving additionally as a prospect chamber. Above this, on the second stage, is a dovecote. The tower was built against the (presumably Elizabethan) rear wall of the garden, which was utilised as the rear basement wall of the structure.

Exterior

Square garden tower of 3 stages; of brick construction, loose English Garden Wall bond, with an earlier limestone rubble wall forming the rear basement stage up to a height of approximately 2m. Pyramidal slate roof with original oak ball finial with residual lead flashing to base. The principal floor is raised above the basement and is accessed on the SW side by a flight of original stone steps with moulded nosing; brick parapet, sloped up and returned to the rear, with moulded sandstone copings. Central entrance to this face, with segmentally-arched head and original pegged wooden frame. This has a later frame superimposed and a C20 boarded door. The SE (Grove House-facing) side has a central, unglazed window with blocked flanking sections, implying a tripartite arrangement originally; further blocked window to the NE side. The basement stage has an entrance recessed beneath the external stair on the SW side, with thin slate lintel and segmental arch over; C20 reduction in brick to the L. Further plain opening to the SE side, giving access to an adjoining C20 glass house.

The upper stage has a simple rectangular opening to the rear (NW) and an ocular opening to the SE. Between the first and upper stages are decorative clasping 'quoins ' to the corners, of brick construction.

Interior

The basement stage has 2 shallow niches with timber lintels to the NE side and a small square recess to the NW (rear), with plain, original wall beam above, with mortising evidence for former joists. The present floor is modern; concrete floor. The principal stage has a plastered interior and hardboard covering to the (apparently original) ceiling. Nesting niches to the upper, dovecote stage, with primary pyramidal pegged roof structure above.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II* for its special interest as a fine example of a late C17 dual-purpose garden structure, retaining good original character within the context of the original formal town garden of Grove House. As such a scarce survival of an early town garden summerhouse/gazebo.

Group value with the nearby stretch of contemporary wall.