Lygan-y-wern

Cadw's description

Location

In its own grounds immediately E of the A55 and W of a minor road between Pentre Halkyn and Bagillt.

History

Said to have been built by Evan Lloyd c1725 when it was leased for 99 years to George Wynne. It was sold to the Grosvenor Estate in 1764 and was leased to tenants, including a brief period c1867 as a lunatic asylum, before its sale by the estate c1880. The character of the house is early C18 but with C19 modification such as the hood moulds to the windows and the introduction of bay windows. The Grosvenor family owned an extensive estate and mineral rights in the Halkyn area. Halkyn Castle was built for the second Earl Grosvenor in 1824-7 and was used as an occasional residence. The Earl was later made Duke of Westminster.

Exterior

A Georgian 3-storey 5-bay house with roughcast walls painted cream and rusticated stone quoins, and slate roof. The gables are asymmetrical, the rooms at the rear being at a lower level. The gables have end stacks, while the rear part has large external stacks to both gable ends. The front elevation has a moulded eaves cornice and urns above kneelers.

The symmetrical front elevation has a rounded wooden portico reached up stone steps, of Tuscan posts and reed-moulded entablature. The half-lit double doors have fielded panels. In the lower storey are C19 canted bay windows with moulded stone copings flanking the entrance. In the middle storey are 12-pane, in the upper storey shorter 9-pane sash windows, all under hood moulds. The L gable end has a plat band and R of the external stack are hornless sashes in lower and middle storeys.

The rear has rusticated pilasters similar to the front, but partly renewed. It has five 9-pane sashes in the upper storey similar to the front, with an inserted small window L of centre. In the middle storey are larger 12-pane sash windows R and L and a smaller 12-pane sash windows R of centre, and a small window L of centre over a gabled single-storey wing. In the lower storey are 3 small-pane windows R of the wing, of which the L-hand is replaced and incorporates a top-hung casement. On the L side of the wing is an enlarged small-pane kitchen window and fixed small-pane window further L. The rear wing has a gable-end stack, 3-light small-pane window incorporating casement, and a boarded door with overlight further R.

Against the external stack on the R gable end of the house is a monopitched projection with concrete tile roof which, facing the rear of the house, has a window inserted in an earlier wider opening.

Interior

The entrance hall has a full-height open-well staircase with fluted balusters, wreathed handrail and relief-moulded foliage to the tread ends. The wainscot has fielded panels. The rooms R and L have marble fireplaces flanked by arched recesses, and the drawing room to the R, and the room directly above it, have plaster fielded wall panels.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-preserved Georgian house retaining original and C19 estate character.