Watertower

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the heart of the Penrhos Coastal Park at the SE end of Holy Island; reached by private driveway N of the A5(T) and c1.25km NNE of the N end of the Stanley Embankment. The Watertower is at SE corner of the walled garden S of Penrhos House.

History

The Penrhos estate was the principal seat on Holy Island and became the home of the Stanley family in 1763. Penrhos house was completely remodelled for John Thomas Stanley in early C19. The water-tower is probably contemporary with the remodelling of Penrhos, c1802-8. Penrhos house became ruinous after 1945 and was later almost entirely demolished. The estate was bought by Anglesey Aluminium in 1969 and made into a country park in 1972. The estate buildings were being refurbished when inspected, May 1997.

Exterior

A 4-storey square water tower designed in the manner of a church bell tower. Constructed of local rubble and with red brick voussoirs, hipped slate roof and overhanging eaves; stepped diagonal buttresses. Round-headed louvred opening to top and narrow rectangular lights below; round-headed doorway reached up stone steps and a similar doorway to basement at right. Originally there was an iron-railed walkway around the top storey. Attached are buttressed garden walls which run N including a large rustic stone archway opening into the main transverse path.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest to the Penrhos estate as a surviving C19 estate building, in the castellated style characterstic of the early C19 phase of building on the estate.