Walls enclosing service yard at Talacre Abbey, with steps to garden

Location

At the rear of the house and on the N side of the service wing.

History

Talacre Abbey was built 1824-9 by Thomas Jones, architect, for Sir Edward Mostyn, on the site of an earlier house. The walled service yard is an integral component of the original house and is concealed from the garden to the N.

Exterior

Walls of coursed dressed masonry enclosing a stone-paved rectangular courtyard on the N side of the service wing. The walls have parapets with moulded saddleback copings. The N wall has a narrow wall walk with an iron railing to the outer side. The main W wall has a wider pathway below which, at courtyard level, are Tudor arches at the ends. At the S end the archway leads beneath the parapet walkway to stone steps at the NW corner of the service wing, the balustrades of which terminate with low octagonal piers (the caps or urns missing). At the N end the archway leads to a covered passage beneath the parapet walkway which has a small chamber at the S end. It also leads through to a second, smaller rectangular enclosure on the W side. This has 3 arches opening on the E side from the passage beneath the parapet walkway. On the S side of the enclosure are 2 lintelled bays, within which is a ramped chute in the parapet wall. A similar chute is in the W wall, while in the NW corner is a doorway to the garden.

At the N end of the W parapet walk are stone steps to the garden, comprising 2 straight flights with low balustrades and terminal piers, and flat copings.

Reason for designation

Listed as an integral component of the house.