Incline Cottage

Cadw's description

Location

Reached up a short farm road, on the edge of Penrhyn Park.

History

Designed by Benjamin Wyatt, ca 1790. The name derives from its position at the head of the Marchogian Incline on the Llandegai Tramway, later the Penrhyn Railroad, which took slate carrying horse drawn wagons down to the newly constructed Port Penrhyn - it was the first railway of its kind in North-West Wales. The balance incline was operated from the house and serves as a ‘gateway’ under which the tracks passes. To the left the rubble boundary wall bows out where the winding drum was formerly sited and a horse was stabled on this side to operate the incline, probably by gin. One side of the building served as day time quarters and the other as night time. Closed in 1879 and subsequently converted into a private house; modern alterations.

Exterior

2-storey rectangular structure with roughly hewn rubble elevations, slate stone voussoir lintels and slate roofs. The entrance is on the 2-window W side with blocked openings below with deeply recessed modern doors. The 3-bay main approach elevation faced N with the outer bays open pedimented. The small pane sash windows, only to the 1st floor, are set in broad recesses with semicircular arched heads springing from the pediment bases; 24-pane to left, 16-pane to right and later 12 pane to centre inserted after 1879. The central bay is rendered to 1st floor and pebbledash to the infilled ground floor. 2-window W side as on the corresponding entrance front but with 12-pane Gothic headed sash windows to ground floor; modern narrow window to centre. The design of the rear elevation is as on the N side with modern alterations including the rendering of the window recess and the addition of a kitchen extension and 2-storey bay to centre.

Some slate stave fencing retained.