History

Plas Heaton was originally called Plas Newydd and was established by the late C17 as a dower house of the Griffith family of neighbouring Garn. However, a first-half C17 framed and studded door, incorporated within the fabric, together with the evidence provided by an early C17 box-framed barn within the farm group (now encased in stone), suggest the site has earlier origins. The present house is of three main periods: a late C17 primary section survives to the NE and retains a fine stair and fragmentary large-field panelling on two floors; this house was incorporated within a new H-shaped plan probably executed in the 1760s; a sundial dated 1767 survives in the garden and gives a probable context. The final period is a late Georgian remodelling of c1800-1805, which saw a rejustification of the facade, a new staircase (relegating the earlier main stair to a secondary access) and the provision of a number of finely-appointed rooms.

The Heaton family, who came to Denbigh with Henry de Lacy in the 1280s, are one of the oldest families in the area. They rented the house from the Griffith family c1805 and in 1807 purchased it outright, re-naming it Plas Heaton and adopting it as their primary seat. The house provided several High Sheriffs of Denbighshire in the C19 and C20.

Exterior

Large country house of irregular plan in restrained Georgian classical style. Of limestone rubble construction, formerly rendered, with sandstone dressings. Hipped and graded slate roof with plain, rendered chimneys. The principal facade faces SE and is symmetrical and of 9-bays. This has a 3-storey, 3-bay central section recessed between advanced 3-bay wings with hipped roofs. These have 2 storeys of windows, and whilst that to the L is indeed a c1800 2-storey wing, that to the R is in fact an earlier 3-storey wing, with merely the external appearance of 2-storeys. The lower half of the upper floor windows here are correspondingly blind, cutting as they do across the level of the intermediate floor. The end bay of this wing is also an addition, added to balance-up the 3-bay section to the L. 12-pane unhorned sashes, all original, with moulded stucco surrounds and some red brick constructional quoining and voussoirs visible; sandstone sills.

The central bay has a tetrastyle portico 'in antis' with central part-glazed entrance within; flanking 12-pane sashes, renewed scribed stucco. The first floor has a tripartite central sash with 12-pane central, and narrow flanking 4-pane sections; 12-pane outer sashes. A further, smaller 12-pane sash appears on the inner return of the right-hand wing at this level, corresponding to the intermediate floor; blocked-up window on the opposite return. The second floor of the central section has 6-pane sashes flanking a 4-pane central casement (a late C19 conversion). Continuous moulded cornice with parapet, returned around the sides and rear.

The SW side is of 2 storeys and is roughcast with moulded stucco surrounds and quoins; this treatment is returned onto the entrance facade a short distance to allow the quoins to return. Three-window elegant bow with flanking windows, that to the L on the ground floor now converted to a C20 part-glazed entrance, with 6-pane overlight. 18-pane sashes to the ground floor bow with a 15-pane flanking window to the ground-floor R; the first-floor windows are all 12-pane sashes.

The rear elevation is more-or-less symmetrical and has a recessed central section flanked by large 3-storey canted bays, all work of the 1760s; of rubble (formerly rendered) with brick surrounds to the openings and sandstone sills. The central section has an early C19 2-storey extrusion with depressed-arched entrance to the L and a C20 fire escape ascending to a former first-floor window, now a part-glazed door. The canted bays have 6-pane sashes to the second floor and 12-pane sashes to the ground and first floor of the left-hand one, some dummies; the right-hand bay has an 8-pane French window to the ground floor centre, with flanking 12-pane sashes; tall early C19 18-pane sashes to the first floor. Tripartite sash windows to the early C19 single-bay storeyed wings to the L and R of this central 1760s block, that to the L with leaded tripartite basement window.

The NE (farmyard-facing) side has 12-pane C18 sashes and 20-pane C19 sashes in an asymmetrical arrangement; modern fire escape to the L. At basement level there is a C17 boarded and studded door in a pegged, chamfered frame, with decorative ironwork; flanking 2-light wooden mullioned windows. Adjoining this elevation is an early C19 block which links the main house with an C18 pedimented pavilion wing of 2 low storeys; blind oculus in the pediment; further tripartite and 12-pane sashes. This block has a single-storey hipped addition to the SE which itself adjoins a hipped rectangular ty bach block. This has 2 pointed-arched entrances and Gothick windows with simple intersecting glazing bars. This side of the house has adjoining rubble walls enclosing produce garden and service court spaces to the NE.

Interior

Sandstone flagged floor to entrance hall, with off-set flags; marbled C20 chimneypiece. The ceiling is compartmented into 3 and has a dentilated plasterwork cornice. Segmental arches with moulded archivolts lead to the stair well (straight ahead), and dining room (to the L); these with plain panelled pilasters. In front of the dining room entrance, also on the L, is the drawing room door. This is a fine 6-panel Georgian mahogany door with ribbed and fielded panels; simply-moulded architrave. The drawing room has an early C19 scrollwork plaster frieze with ceiling margins of conjoined lozenges and foliated bosses. Classical wooden fireplace with similar scrollwork decoration and figured grey/white marble inner surround. Panelled shutters and reveals throughout.

The dining room has a mahogany door, as before, within the recessed arch, with 3 other, similar doors leading into it. The room has a bowed end and a semi-circular buffet niche at the opposite end. Classical plasterwork frieze with egg-and-dart and honeysuckle motifs; contemporary wooden pelmet fascia to the windows, painted and gilded. The buffet niche has panelled pilasters and palmette capitals with garland reliefs; gadrooned archivolt with frieze returned around the inside of the niche. The original veneered mahogany fitted sideboard remains in situ; this with convex central section and flaking concave sections. Carrara marble Ionic fireplace with plain frieze and moulded cornice.

To the R of the hall are 3 rooms relating to the primary house of c1690. The first has one wall of large-field oak fielded panelling, with associated moulded cornice and fielded 8-panel door. Early C20 bolection-moulded fireplace with (later) date 1715 and initials THD; incorporated Dutch panel painting (C17 style). The next room has one-and-a-quarter of its walls panelled in large-field oak panelling of similar date; contemporary old oak floor and 8-panel door; panelled window seats, reveals and shutters. In the third room in the sequence is a contemporary blackened stone fireplace with basket arch. The primary staircase rises to the attic floor and is a good oak dogleg with fielded, panelled sides, square newels and swept, moulded rail; columnar balusters. The main stair is a stone well stair with iron stick balusters and mahogany scrolled rail; first floor balustraded gallery and Adamesque plasterwork to the ceiling.

Two large first-floor reception rooms lead off from the landing, one, oval in shape, with incorporated ceiling painting. The other has plasterwork cornice and mahogany doors as before, with white and grey figured marble chimneypiece with Ionic columns supporting a deep mantelpiece; frieze with elongated rosette motif. Further fielded doors and a sub-divided panelled room to the first floor in the primary (NE) section, all relating to the late C17 phase.

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II* as substantial late Georgian country house with earlier, c1700 origins, retaining fine interior period detail and good Georgian external character. And for group value with other listed items at Plas Heaton. 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

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17741607

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)