Plas Chambres, including adjoining forecourt and garden walls, Denbigh, Denbighshire

History

Formerly the principal seat of the (now extinct) Chambres family. Allegedly descended from Jean de la Chambre, one of William the Conqueror's knights, the Denbigh branch of the family was founded by John Chambres, a follower of Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln at the end of the C13. The family were, from the C16 until the C18, amongst of the principal families of the county and its representatives frequently served as burgesses and aldermen of the town. John Chambres additionally served as High Sheriff of the county in 1713. The head of the house at the time of the Civil Wars was Captain Charles Chambres, a brave and notable royalist commander who took part in many of the significant events of the war in North Wales. Amongst these was his attack on Denbigh Castle in July 1648, when, together with Major John Dolben, he attempted to free the imprisoned Major-General Sir John Owen.

The overall complex at Plas Chambres represents a particularly fine example of a unit-planned gentry house of the Tudor and Stuart periods and, with the exception of some minor alterations and additions of the early C19 (such as the carthouse and granary), has remained essentially unaltered since the late C17. Not only do the main and subsidiary houses survive (both with timber-framed, late-medieval origins), but the site also retains a formal walled forecourt, a contemporary cobbled outer (service) court, a walled orchard and the site of a walled and revetted pleasure garden. In addition to this there is a large, early agricultural complex, consisting of a 7-bay main barn, a 3-bay byre and a 6-bay stable range, all with late C16 or early C17 timber-framed origins.

The main house is a late medieval hall house of timber-framed origin, whose open hall roof (with straight wind bracing) remains partly visible, though obscured by plaster. The house was extended and encased in rubble in the second-half C16, during which period it acquired its distinctive lateral chimneys. At the end of the century the parlour received a fine plasterwork ceiling and frieze, the latter (now obscured) dated 1598. The house was further remodelled c1680, when the parlour was panelled-out in fine raised and fielded panelling, a new hall floor was laid with conjoined octagonal flags and staircases were provided for both (perhaps already segregated) wings. At the same time the forecourt wall appears to have been extended or rebuilt in brick, as was the secondary house which, together with the stable range was remodelled and provided with wooden cross-windows.

Exterior

Storeyed gentry house consisting of two conjoined sections forming a rough J-plan. Of limestone rubble construction with timber-framed origins to the main section; rendered principal elevations. Steeply-pitched slate roofs with 2 large lateral chimneys to each block, three with gabled breasts and all with tall stacks. The main front has a central entrance to the principal section with C16 or C17 chamfered and moulded wooden frame and contemporary studded door; this with 2 vertical lights cut in later. Four late Georgian 12-pane, unhorned sashes to the ground floor, with 3 similar windows to the upper floor. The latter break the eaves and are contained within hipped dormers.

Advanced, gabled wing to the L, with a further, similar dormer window to its inner return and 2 late C17 wooden cross-windows to the ground floor, plain-glazed except for one leaded light each. The gable end has an early boarded and studded door, as before, with deeply-chamfered frame; modern casements to the L and above. Single-storey C19 porch addition advanced slightly to the L, with modern casements. The return (SW) side has a large gabled lateral chimney and a flush lateral chimney to the L; 12-pane sash to the first floor between them, with further modern casement below. The rear has a gabled wing to the L with late Georgian gabled extension, the latter with modern end chimney and primary tripartite sash to the L return (unhorned, as before). Gabled stair projection between 2 lateral chimneys with a single-storey mono-pitched projecting wing beyond. Extruded in the angle between this and the rear gable of the SW wing is an open stone porch with steps down; modern windows to the rear.

Fronting the main section of the house and enclosing a square forecourt are a sequence of walls, approximately 2m high and with late C17 sandstone copings. The front wall, opposite the entrance, is of limestone rubble and has a (later) round-arched entrance with boarded and framed door. The left and right-hand stretches are of brick and are late C17; the former has a rounded corner to the front. The R return runs past the house leaving enough of a gap for a primary framed entrance, flush with the facade; old boarded door. The wall continues for a short stretch before turning a right-angle to the R and then returning, as a broader limestone rubble wall, to enclose a rectangular former garden to the side and rear of the house. The NE side of this is a high revetment and thereby forms the elevated walled garden so favoured in the C16 and C17; this is doubtless of this period.

Interior

The house is currently split into two units, with the L wing and most of the former hall forming one part, and the principal stair and parlour section of the main range (to the R) forming the other. The latter part has a panelled entrance passage with small-field C17 panelling of Jacobean type to the primary parlour wall (R) and re-sited to the L; the latter partition forms a division between the units and thereby partly subdivides the formerly open hall. Conjoined octagonal flagged floor.

The parlour (R) has fine late C17 large-field panelling, raised and fielded with bolection mouldings and high moulded dado; bolection-moulded doorcase with 2-panel fielded door; deep, moulded cornice and panelled reveals, shutters and window seats. The panelling is in softwood, with several generations of modern paint. Opposite the entrance is an arched recess with archivolt and key, having flanking fluted pilasters; coved niche with 3 shelves and a lower section with 4 drawers and 2 shelves. Modern paint finish throughout. Unsympathetic mid-C20 brick fireplace opposite the window. The original, fine bolection-moulded and mantled fireplace surround, formerly in this position, is now located in the adjoining secondary house.

The parlour ceiling has fine Elizabethan plasterwork consisting of conjoined, ribbed squares and rectangles with geometric, foliate and scroll decoration, including one female bust; old random-width floorboarding. At the end of the entrance passage is a late C17 4-panel fielded door which gives onto the stairwell. Contemporary oak dog-leg stair with square newels and turned balusters; plain newel caps, original treads and risers. At the top of the stair is a short returned balustrade and a depressed arch with chamfered wooden posts (probably reused from the late medieval hall). Two-panel Stuart doors. One bay of the former open roof is visible (though plastered-over) in a first-floor room, with one tier of straight windbraces visible (2 to each side)

In the other section the hall is visible. This has a wide late C17 stone fireplace with bolection-moulded surround; stopped-chamfered beams with ogee stops. In a small ground floor room off the hall is a section of small-field C17 panelling against one wall; 5 further fielded panelled doors of late C17 date. Narrow well staircase to the rear with pierced, shaped balusters with square newels and geometric finials (modern paint finish).

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II*for its special interest as an Elizabethan gentry house with late medieval timber-framed core, retaining fine contemporary plasterwork and late C17 interior detail, and of particular interest as the focus of a largely unaltered example of a sub-medieval Unit Planned complex.

Group value with other listed items at Plas Chambres.

External Links

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