Pen-Rhos Engine House, Brymbo, Wrexham

Coordinates

Latitude: 53.0715 / 53°4'17"N

Longitude: -3.0676 / 3°4'3"W

OS Eastings: 328569

OS Northings: 353225

OS Grid: SJ285532

Mapcode National: GBR 72.BKCQ

Mapcode Global: WH77S.V2F5

Plus Code: 9C5R3WCJ+HX

Entry Name: Pen-Rhos Engine House

Listing Date: 1 December 1995

Last Amended: 1 December 1995

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 14889

Building Class: Industrial

ID on this website: 300014889

Location: On the N side of the road running on the W side of the former Steel Works site, W of Pen-Rhos Farm.

County: Wrexham

Community: Brymbo

Locality: Pen-Rhos

Traditional County: Denbighshire

Tagged with: Building

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History

Late C18, almost certainly built for John Wilkinson, one of the leading iron-masters and technological innovators of the industrial revolution. It was probably built to house a Hornblower double cylinder engine, pumping for a coal mine. Jonathon Hornblower was an independent engine designer and builder of the period, who was developing the Newcomen engine into a modern form in competition with Boulton and Watt. The engine house was converted into a dwelling c1820, but later abandoned.

Exterior

Tall beam engine house. Battered walls of rough rubble with dressed stone quoins and dressings; roofless, but with moulded kneelers to gable copings, and brick stacks on the two gable ends, added when the building was converted into a dwelling. Beam arch high in bob-wall to S gable, partially blocked to convert to domestic window; semi-circular with dressed stone voussoirs. Small doorway to lower right in this gable. Remains of what may have been a square stack to the E.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as an exceptionally rare survival of a C18 beam engine house, dating from a period when the design of the steam engine was rapidly evolving.

Scheduled Ancient Monument De 203.

External Links

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

Other nearby listed buildings

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History in Structure

Pen-Rhos Engine House

A Grade II* Listed Building in Brymbo, Wrexham