The Former Mines Rescue Centre

Cadw's description

Location

On the E side of Maesgwyn Road approximately 200m south of the junction with Regent Street.

History

C1913, built by the North Wales Coal Owners Association to house the Mines Rescue Service for the North Wales coalfields.

Exterior

Mines Rescue station; Superintendents House to right and lower workshop range to left. Red Ruabon brick to ground floor and quoins and window dressings to first floor, buff brick to first floor. Slate roof with decorative brick gable stack, mixture of plate glass sash and casement windows all with corbelled sills and those to the ground floor of the Superintendents House with hoodmoulds and keystones.

Superintendents House: Two storeyed 5 bay main wing with central window to first floor with paired sash windows to either side. Bracketed first floor string course with central arched doorway to the ground floor with recessed panelled door with glazed leaded margin lights to the frame. Two paired sashes to the right and tripartite window to the left. Two storey wing to rear.

Workshop: two bay gabled wing with two further bays to right and single bay section linking with Superintendents House to right. Gabled wing has wide garage door entrance to left, paired casement window to right and above moulded red brick lunette in the gable and remains of panel with the word 'Rescue' in raised lettering. Linking section has semi-circular gable with moulded coping, scrolled stops and tympanum with the 'North Wales Coal Owners Association' in raised lettering. Underneath is a wide tripartite window in infilled opening, presumably a former vehicle entrance.
To the rear: left hand gable wing extends to the rear and encloses the central U-shaped single storey training gallery. Further flat roofed extensions to the rear of the Superintendents House.

Interior

Largely refitted for modern office use but retains original stairs and layout, in particular the windowless training gallery housed in the single storey U-shaped building to the rear.

Reason for designation

Included for its special historic interest as a Mines Rescue Building, purpose built to serve the mines within the North Wales Coalfields and important for retaining its original form and layout, in particular the training gallery. It is a rare example within Wales and displays good architectural detailing and construction.