The Original House. This Has Resulted in the Loss of Simple Rhythm Created by Windows and Doors and the Buildings Are Difficult to Read As a Cohesive Combination
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the original house. This has resulted in the loss of simple rhythm created by windows and doors and the buildings are difficult to read as a cohesive combination. To the south, several buildings have been detrimentally altered using inappropriate materials such as oversized windows with large panes, uPVC and cement. Not only are cement and uPVC inappropriate materials for a conservation area in terms of aesthetics, they are not sustainable building materials. The north side of Wrexham Road is predominately Victorian in appearance, with a mix of farms and domestic dwellings. The plan form is fairly C18th Cottage, Francis Lane rectangular and regular in size. Features include decorative terracotta finials, a continuous roofline, that building material came from redundant red substantial mature vegetation and its scale, sill bands, window architraves, painted to contrast sandstone quarries within this lane. Limewashed enhanced by small windows with narrow, black to the main walls, and gabled porches. Window or white rendered detached cottages are typical of architraves, adds character to this area. These sizes have been retained and modern replacements the older properties, with little detailing afforded to features should be considered in new design. that have been successfully integrated into the the main elevation. grain of the building are subdivided by slender horizontal glazing bars. Red sandstone boundary There are some vernacular Welsh cottages, walls with cock and hen coping add to the overall rendered and painted white, in The Cross and agrarian character. Dormer windows tend to be Francis Lane that may date as far back as 1750. later and do not relate to the generally original flat Originally their facades would have been very eaves line. Smaller scale cottages have cruciform simple, with windows and doors being the primary horned sash windows and simple boarded doors, features, of small scale in relation to the status and which add to their character. Oversized gabled income of the owner, and continuous eaves lines. porches and uPVC replacement windows and doors Unfortunately some windows have been altered by upset the simplicity, but it is easily reversible. enlargement and staining, particularly in The Cross. In Francis and Dee Lanes, the overall character is A good example is an 18th century cottage in agrarian. Dee Lane leads to the river, and it is likely Francis Lane. Low roof line and eaves peep above Window detail at C18th cottage, Francis Lane 21 The linear pattern of the roads may create a tunnel The Presbyterian Church is of Gothic Revival effect to the user of the street, seen only to get from style, and is a landmark building in the street. and to destinations. However, a number of Pointed architectural features, bar tracery, buildings are zigzag street markers, which creates a dominant buttresses and its decorative stone sense of place and individual legibility to the belfry heightens its dramatic effect. Its dominance buildings. T~ Castell on the west side of Castle is heightened by its proximity to the road and the Street is a most attractive building of substantial use of ashlared and coursed red sandstone. The townscape value. Of L-plan form, the main view and legibility of it however is muted by rendered Georgian elevation has timber, mullioned, substantial highway signage. architraved windows, a painted string course and a pedimented doorway. The more elaborately decorated gable end is Victorian, with decorative bargeboards and finials with a pilastered projecting doorway. Simple black iron railings, surmounted on a low brick boundary wall retain the street line. It is not listed so every care should be taken to safeguard its distinct architectural character. Similar original features are incorporated in the former Manse to the Presbyterian Church. The Academy has similar Victorian features. It is a Fairview House, Castle Street former school erected in 1872 and converted into three houses after the closure of the school in 1902. H. G Wells was reputed to have written "Lady Frankland's Companions" while teaching here. Complementing the simple elegance of T~ Castell is Fairview House opposite, a detached brick Georgian building. The landscaping to the garden is important, acting as relief to the barren street. The symmetrical vertical windows have inverted stone lintels, and a stone sill band painted white. Unfortunately, uPVC replacements cannot replicate the depth and appearance of original mullioned sliding sash types. T~ Castell, Castle Street Presbyterian Church 22 Also on the west side is Smithfield House, a 17th Century vernacular farmhouse built substantially of red sandstone and locally made brick. Its three storeys and stone shaped kneelers and coping to the gable create its dominance. Attractive is the doorway, with a stone moulded pediment on consoles. An interesting row of 18th and 19th Century cottages are attached, built of render and Ruabon red brick. Some dentilled eaves under a continuous eaves line offset their linear form with traditional sash windows with slender mullions, stone lintels and open porches important. Top hung windows tend to create irregular subdivision of the window, which knocks out the alignment to the façade and neighbouring cottages. Lilacs in Francis Lane is a pretty, Victorian cottage, Smithfield with keystones and voissoirs atop Edwardian House, Castle Street vertical windows, and a low red sandstone wall with cock-and-hen coping. Unfortunately, its character has been slightly undermined by the replacement of slate roofing tiles to concrete. The change from slate to concrete may add additional weight to the roof rafters if they were not reinforced at the time of re-roofing. West End Farm has 18th Century origins. Of interest is its size, double plan form and mullioned, architraved windows with large stone lintels and a black painted string course. It is located in substantial grounds and enclosed by Ruabon red brick walls with pillars and terracotta bell coping. Lilacs, Francis Lane West End Farm, Francis Lane 23 On Wrexham Road is an interesting and perhaps elegant moulded wooden architraves and swan- Modern development is generally on infill sites unique building - The Strawberry Pickers necked pediments to the doors and windows. The and some buildings reflect the general architectural Barracks, sheltered behind Wrexham Road Farm barracks are currently used for ancillary storage to characteristics of the area in terms of symmetry, to the north. It was originally constructed for Bellis' Farm, and unfortunately the loss of some scale, architectural features and window size. seasonal pickers. Single rooms in the barracks frontages have occurred as a result. The original Contemporary architecture that has been could hold entire families within them during the sheet iron roof is now showing much rusting, and if successfully integrated in to the street scene height of the strawberry season. The simplicity of not checked, will cause substantial damage to the includes the recently constructed modern detached the structure is offset by a wooden string course, main fabric of the building. and terraced properties to the north of Castle Street Strawberry pickers sitting down for tea outside the Barracks 24 near to The Cross. An aptness of detail to scale, property. However, inappropriate building materials, in Fairview have simple Dutch architectural appropriate massing and architectural characteristics such as concrete roof tiles and buff coloured bricks influences. The roofs are pitched, although with of windows, doors, chimneys, facades (under eaves and building styles, such as continuous elongated concrete roof tiles, with very low eaves, jutting and string courses) and porches have achieved this. flat roof dormers which segregate the roof shape, diagonally towards Castle Street. Horizontal are out of keeping with the original buildings and windows offset the vertical emphasis of the roofs. Buildings of the 1960s and 70's have allowed for compromise the character of the area. However, The buildings overlook the castle site and great care some similarities in terms of boundary detailing, and one street of buildings of 1970's design has an should be taken in any rear development, in order to spatial relationship and massing between each interesting cohesion. Detached two storey houses protect the castle's setting. Castle Mews, a modern development at Castle Street Castle Side, Fairview 25 Sub-Area 3: Smithfield Street, Chapel Street and Chapel Lane Important Features: O a sense of intimacy created by terracing, regular building lines and small gardens; O an interesting street pattern, with Smithfield Green, a medieval market place, providing a focal point; O Victorian architectural character; O building materials, principally of brick or white painted render; and O vegetation, particularly on Smithfield Green. Terraces Terraces within this sub area have a cohesiveness that relates to their Victorian age, despite differences in style and design. In Smithfield Green a terrace of three whitewashed cottages was built in 1867. A simple front elevation has a continuous eaves line and deep-set vertical windows. Crude, large, vertical toothed coping stones to the boundary wall are rustic and important. Unfortunately, cement ribbon pointing defaces its wall. Terrace at Smithfield Green 27 On Smithfield Street, a simple brick terrace of seven, all with small front gardens, has cruciform sash windows under flat brick-arched lintels and dentilled eaves. Unusual is the red sandstone plinth, which complements a low sandstone boundary wall. This may have originally formed part of the farmstead of Smithfield House. The terrace of seven in Chapel Street is more decorative. Built of local red brown brick and directly fronting the road its appearance is enhanced by detail to doors and windows, which comprise sixteen pane mullioned timber sash windows, vertically panelled tongue and groove doors and beautifully ornate, open timber porches, supported by decorative timber dragon brackets. Similar detailing exists in The Manse. 1-6 Smithfield Street Timber porch detail to terraces in Chapel Street 28 Other buildings of note include The Orchard in Chapel Street.