Rug

Cadw's description

Location

In parkland on the N side of the A5, 3km approx. W of Corwen.

History

The lordship of Rug can be traced back at least to the C12, and formed part of Glyndwr's estate in the early C15. It was acquired by the Salesbury family through marriage, c1490. It passed from them to the Vaughans in 1780, and was inherited by the Wynn family in 1859. An early house, probably of C16 date and built by the Salesbury's was replaced on a new site c1798, shortly after the estate was inherited by Edward Williams Vaughan. He had commissioned Repton to draw up a plan for the park in 1795: Repton suggested re-siting the house, and proposed a Gothic-Revival style for the new building. Vaughan, however, also commissioned designs for the new house from Bonomi, but probably used Joseph Bromfield of Shrewsbury for the final design. The house was extended c1880, but these extensions were largely removed in 1976.

Exterior

Ashlar with tooled plinth; hipped slate roof (remodelled 1976). 2 storeys. Entrance front faces NW: 7 bays, articulated 2-3-2 with central projecting portico/porte-cochere of 3 bays with giant Ionic columns and pilasters carrying entablature: central paired doors with overlight. 12 and 9-pane sash windows, with continuous sill band to first floor. Garden front has full-height central bow with 3 windows between giant Ionic engaged columns, flanked by 3 windows to either side: 15-pane floor length sash windows to ground floor, and 9-pane sashes above. Plain string courses, moulded cornice and blocking course throughout. To the right of the garden front are the remains of the wing of c1880: a 5-bay collonade was formerly part of a conservatory divided by moveable screens from a ballroom/billiard room, and is now an open loggia: segmental arches carried on columns raised on octagonal bases, with foliate capitals. Lions head masks above the arches, terracotta and carved stone rosettes in the spandrels.

Interior

Interior: The contemporary interiors of the late C18 house are said to include a staircase with cast-iron balusters made William Hazeldine of Shrewsbury, and also to incorporate panelling of c1525 removed from the older mansion.