History

Small late C17 or early C18 brick gentry house with earlier, probably timber-framed origins and incorporating parts of a second-quarter C17 well stair. The house is named after the Trowbridge family, who were active around Ruthin in the C16 and C17, though by the C18 it had passed to a branch of the Myddleton family. In 1741 William Middleton of 'Plas Turbridge' Esq served as High Sheriff of Denbighshire. The house was altered and extended in the late C19.

Exterior

Two-storey former gentry house of (predominantly whitened) brick with slate roofs and plain bargeboards; brick chimneys with gabled, projecting breasts to the main gable ends. Symmetrical gabled E front, probably originally U-shaped. A large storeyed and gabled central projection, added in the late C19, probably occupies what was originally a gap between the smaller flanking gabled wings; a further, and broader, late C19 gable rises up behind this with an end chimney. Early C20 wooden cross-windows to both floors of the central and flanking gabled bays, those to the former with small-pane glazing, the remainder plain-glazed. The R gable end (N) has a primary entrance to the L of the chimney breast with original bricked-up cross-windows to the R on both floors. Slated late C19 gabled porch with latticed wooden sides; late C17/early C18 studded and boarded oak door. The S gable end has a similar blocked window to the first floor and a C20 lean-to extension to the ground floor; modern windows and corrugated iron roof. The 4-bay W side is rendered and has 3 modern wooden cross windows on both floors. At the far R, the final bay has an entrance contained within a covered passage. This is formed by the roof of an adjacent L-shaped outbuilding being extended over the narrow gap between it and the house proper.

The adjoining outbuilding is of 2 low storeys, the main front section of whitened rubble and the later (C19) rear arm of whitened brick; slate roof. The main (N) side has a boarded door to the left side, with plain-glazed 2-light windows to both floors beyond. To the R is a half-turn stone and brick stair leading to a boarded first-floor entrance. This is recessed beneath an oversailing gable supported from a brick-infilled, timber-framed parapet by 3 wooden posts, forming a type of open loggia. The timber-framed sections are C17 and are probably re-used from the house. Deeply-recessed 2-light window below stair parapet, formerly an entrance.

Interior

The ground floor has late C19 and C20 partitioning and the original plan-form is consequently unclear. Painted second-quarter C17 oak stair, formerly of well type, the 2 flights now joined to form a single straight flight; short galleried landing to the first floor with flat, shaped and pierced balusters and square newels (lacking finials). Ogee stopped-chamfered main beams of late C17/early C18 type and two contemporary 2-panel doors, one on each floor; some old oak floor-boarding to first floor. C17 boarded cellar door with primary quarter-turn wooden stair down; beamed ceiling to cellar.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as a small late C17/early C18 brick gentry house with probable timber-framed origins.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29499189

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

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)