Foxhall including adjoining Garden and Yard Walls to the SE and SW, Henllan, Denbighshire

History

Ancient seat of the Lloyd and Rosindale family and a manorial site since at least the late C13; Henry Rosindale, who came to Denbigh with De Lacy in 1288 is said to have married the heiress of Foxhall (or 'Foulk's Hall). The Lloyds (as they became) were one of the most significant of the early Denbighshire families, the house providing High Sheriffs for the years 1555, 1567, 1592, 1623, 1636, 1669, 1720 and 1746.

The most historically important member of the family was Humphrey Llwyd (1527-1568), one of the great Renaissance figures of Wales. Both physician and noted antiquary, Llwyd was the private doctor to Lord Arundel before joining Lord Lumley as the librarian of his important collection. Following his marriage to Lumley's sister and heiress, he returned to Foxhall in 1563 and continued to produce various tracts and published works on medical and geographical subjects. Through the intermediary of his friend Sir Richard Clough, Llwyd corresponded with Ortelius in Antwerp, providing him with useful geographical knowledge as well as maps of Wales and Britain; these were published as supplement to Ortelius' 'Theatrum' in 1573.

The present house is complex in its evolution, though retains significant medieval and Tudor fabric. The primary house was an open hall with a solar cross-wing and an upper chamber. The present hall block appears to be a later C15 replacement of an earlier hall, whose crosswing, however survives. Of the hall, a stone corbel with decorated wall post remains visible, suggesting that the roof (of this second phase) was originally of hammer-beam type. A resited triple-arched screens partition is contemporary. Of greatest interest, however, is the gabled crosswing. This is a 5-bay medieval solar wing and originated as a raised chamber (open to the roof) above an undercroft with slit lights. Its construction is of roughly-squared stone blocks and differs from the masonry of the hall range which it evidently predates. Its roof-structure survives intact and is of early arched-braced collar type, with pointed-arched trusses and large, broad curved wind braces. The gable has a shallow projecting 2-stage chimney breast, corbelled-out at the main floor level and flanked by slit lights. In its style and construction this wing conforms to the raised solar or hall block tradition found in the more elevated English manorial architecture from the late C12 onwards.

Given the antiquity and status of the site, this cross-wing could conceivably be of late C14 origin, and may originally have had an associated timber-framed hall. If this is indeed of such an early date, it ranks as one of the earliest surviving non-military domestic stone buildings in north Wales. A perpendicular window insertion probably relates to an early Tudor remodelling which the house appears to have undergone in the early C16. Additions and alterations of this period include a fine Tudor-arched stone hall entrance (now internal), together with a storeyed kitchen wing to the N and possibly a range adjoining the hall block to the SW (now much altered). The floor level in the solar cross-wing was raised already early on, probably in the second-half C16. At the same time, or else shortly afterwards, the hall was ceiled over and a central chimney was introduced, thereby generating the present chimney-backing-on-entry plan. A fine ex situ heraldic shield of the 1630s (now in the house) testifies to further work at this time, though this may merely have been cosmetic. The house was extended to the NE in the early C19 when it acquired the present kitchen wing. Various C19 and C20 alterations, including new glazing to many of the windows in the post-war period.

Exterior

Medium-sized country house of 2 storeys. Of local limestone construction with some sandstone dressings; slated roof. Large early brick central chimney to the principal range, embellished with off-set dentil courses and pilasters; further simple end chimneys of stone and brick. The main (SE) elevation has an L-shaped main block, consisting of the former hall with an advanced, gabled solar cross-wing to the R. Both have rendered parapets, probably C19. Asymmetrical openings to the hall section, with part-glazed late Victorian or Edwardian garden entrances to L and R. The latter has a glazed conservatory extrusion in front, set in the angle between the main block and the cross-wing. In the centre is a 4-light hall window with C20 casement glazing (each section of 6 panes) and an expressed timber lintel. Three 2-light windows of similar type to the first floor, with a blocked-up window opening between the central and right-hand one. The L gable of this hall range has a late medieval or early Tudor end chimney. The breast of this projects slightly and is corbelled out, tapering at the top with two sandstone bands; later stone stack. The steeper, original roof-line of the hall range is visible on this gable end below the present raised pitch line.

The cross-wing has a shallow, projecting 2-stage chimney to its advanced gable end, corbelled-out at main floor level and flanked by primary slit lights; putlog holes above. The lower, original roof line is similarly visible here and the stack represents a C19 brick rebuilding. There is a further slit light to the L return (now within the conservatory). Above this is a 2-light late medieval or early Tudor Perpendicular window with cusped lights; of brown sandstone. The R return (facing NE) has a C16 or early C17 Tudor-arched sandstone entrance to the R with moulded jambs and broach stops to the base; late C19/early C20 boarded door. C19 2-light wooden tracery window to the L with multi-light heads. The first floor has a 2-light mullioned window (C20) and a modern 3-light casement window to the R. Adjoining the cross-wing at right-angles to the R (N) is a C19 kitchen wing. This has a 5-light transmullioned wooden C20 window to its inner return and 2 wide segmentally-arched windows to its gable end, one each to the ground and first floors. The ground floor window is of 15-lights and the upper of 12 (arranged as 3 sections of 6-panes each); central opening casement.

Adjoining the rear of the solar cross-wing to the NW is a storeyed early Tudor kitchen wing. This has a Tudor-arched sandstone entrance to the L with deeply recessed modern glazed door; original vertical sandstone window to the L, with evidence for former ferementa. To the R of this is a large modern window with cambered head. Here there was formerly a large projecting lateral chimney. Beyond this is a further primary entrance with sandstone jambs and raised head; flat arch with rough voussoirs. To the R of this is another primary vertical light. Three modern windows to the first floor. The rear of this wing has 2 further, similar original windows, one to each floor, with evidence for a further primary entrance; modern windows and modern French doors to the L. Extruded in the corner between this wing and the rear of the hall range is an early C20 storeyed extension, with canted ground-floor bay facing SW and a 4-light window above.

The rear of the hall range has a (probably C17) 3-light mullioned wooden hall window, with modern glazing; C19 segmentally-arched, 8-pane window diagonally above. Adjoining the hall range to the SW, set back from the main facade and stepped-down, though flush with it to the rear, is a much altered one-and-a-half storey service range, essentially of late medieval or early Tudor origin. This has basement slit windows and a rectangular sandstone vertical light to the rear (NW) elevation. This side now has boarded loft doors and 2 small-pane C20 fixed windows, with 2 boarded doors to the front. An early C20 tunnel passage has been cut through at the hall end; this with round arch. This range continues to the NW where it adjoins an uncoped rubble garden wall which runs at right-angles to the SE, defining the main lawned garden on this side. This wall is probably C16 or C17 in origin and appears to sit upon a wide former terrace. The wall stands to a height of approximately 1.80m and extends to some 30m.

Linking the gable end of the kitchen block to that of this C20 wing, and enclosing a small narrow court in an arc, are rubble walls with plain opening and C20 partial raising. Enclosing a narrow rectangular garden court and running from the corner of the latter wing parallel with the hall range to the SW is another rubble wall raised over an early C20 pointed-arched gate in the centre. At the end it adjoins a high rubble wall which stretches at right-angles to the W and forming an arc which defines the rear service court. This stretch of wall reaches a height of approximately 4m.

Interior

Chimney-backing on entry plan with inserted beamed ceiling to the hall. Fine Tudor-arched, moulded entrance to rear of the former cross-passage, with contemporary draw-bar hole. Set into the outer wall of the passage is a re-located triple-arched, moulded wooden screens partition, the entrances with round heads (the two to the R fragmentary). A stone corbel with circular base to a former wall post survives in the hall; this with simple decorative collar. The solar cross-wing has a 5-bay open roof of arch-braced collar truss type, with large curved windbraces. The ground floor has a massively-framed later C16 ceiling with stopped-chamfered beams and joists. In the C16 kitchen wing the wide segmental fireplace arch to the lost lateral chimney survives; this has dressed sandstone voussoirs.

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II* for its special architectural interest as an early Tudor gentry house with exceptional medieval cross wing, retaining good original external and internal character, and for its special historic interest as the birthplace and home of Humphrey Llwyd, the noted Tudor physician and antiquary.

Group value with other listed items at Foxhall. One of a series of fine, well-preserved country houses in the immediate locality which, together with their abutting estates, played an important socio-economic role in the history of the community.

External Links

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