Wrexham County Borough Council HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT NEWSLETTER

issue 4 december 2016

Welcome to the 4th Issue of the Historic Environment newsleƩ er which is now in its 3rd year of publicaƟ on. The newsleƩ er has proven to be a popular communicaƟ on with owners and those responsible for historic buildings. We are delighted to conƟ nue providing updates on the interesƟ ng and inspiring projects that have taken place within the County Borough over the past year, as well as important legislaƟ ve changes. We hope you will enjoy this Issue, and as always, we welcome any feedback, comments or suggesƟons.

Historic Environment management of change in the (Wales) Act 2016 – New historic environment and will be complemented by an integrated and amended legislation suite of policy, advice and guidance. and guidance on the A summary of the provisions of the management of the Act relaƟ ng to listed buildings is outlined below: Historic Environment in Wales  Temporary stop noƟ ces for listed buildings; The Historic Environment (Wales)  Extending the scope of urgent Act became law aŌ er receiving works noƟ ces and introducing Royal Assent on 21 March 2016. local land charges; The Act makes important changes  PreservaƟ on noƟ ces for listed to the exisƟ ng laws for the historic buildings that have fallen into environment to deal with current disrepair; weaknesses and inconsistencies,  ConsultaƟ on, interim protecƟon for example the Act makes it harder and review of decisions to for those who unlawfully damage designate historic assets including a scheduled monument to escape listed buildings. prosecuƟ on. The Act also introduces provisions to support the posiƟve The Act also makes provisions for Historic Environment Act. The as other guidance documents that the management and protecƟon latest consultaƟ on seeks views on have been subject to earlier rounds of other historic assets including the proposed regulaƟ ons for the of public consultaƟ on, can be Scheduled Monuments, registered procedures to be followed when viewed on the Welsh Government historic parks and gardens and a request to review a decision to website: consultaƟ ons.gov.wales/ historic place names. Further designate a historic asset is received consultaƟons/regulaƟons-required- informaƟ on on all the provisions is as well as guidance documents on a historic-environment-wales-act- available on Cadw’s website: cadw. series of topics including ‘Managing 2016-and-guidance gov.wales/historicenvironment/ Listed Buildings at Risk’, ‘Managing policy/historicenvironmentbill Change to Registered Historic Once the guidance comes in to affect Parks and Gardens in Wales’ and we will be issuing advice to owners Guidance – Welsh Government ‘Managing Historic Character in on any changes that they need to be are currently consulƟ ng on Wales’. This current consultaƟon aware of when making applicaƟons procedures and guidance linked closes on 13th January 2017 and for listed building consent and/or to the implementaƟ on of the these guidance documents, as well planning permission.

Eglwys Cross CoƩ age, Hanmer – Refurbishment,  Repairs to the roof slates and Repair and AlteraƟ on of grade II listed coƩ age of 17th chimney stacks to help ensure the building is weatherƟ ght; Century Origins  Upgrading of services to provide being unoccupied for several years. modern living standards for the The new owners have carefully new owners. planned a programme of repair, alteraƟ on and extension to During improve the condiƟ on of the the works building fabric and to create a it was comfortable family home without revealed compromising the disƟncƟve that much historic character of the building. of the Recently completed works, which external have in part been supported by panelling to the earlier Ɵmber the Welsh Government Home framed building had been replaced Improvement Loan Scheme, have and rebuilt with blockwork to included: the interior and brick and hard cemenƟƟ ous render to the  Replacement windows and exterior. Early photographs of the Eglwys Cross doors to provide improved building idenƟ fy that secƟ ons of CoƩ age is set within detailing and thermal the Ɵ mber frame had also been the undulaƟng performance; altered however an original secƟon historic landscape  Lime plastering to the interior of of Ɵ mber framing remains exposed of the Maelor the 19th Century addiƟons; within an interior cross wall. Saesnig region, close to the A525  Opening up and reinstatement Wrexham to Whitchurch Road. of previously blocked doorways The next phases of works include The property is grade II listed and and windows to provide repairs to the Ɵ mber frame and has signifi cance as a 17th Century addiƟ onal light into the living replacement of the cemenƟƟ ous Ɵ mber framed coƩ age with later space and improve access into the render panelling where necessary 19th Century addiƟ ons which building; and landscaping improvements retains its overall form in spite of  Internal subdivision of to the garden area to provide repairs and modificaƟ ons over the 19th Century property to improved parking and storage and many years. The coƩ age previously provide improved accommodaƟon; will help ensure the seƫ ng of the comprised 3 smaller coƩ ages  RepoinƟ ng in lime mortar building and its early architectural however it is now one single and replacement brickwork where detailing are enhanced and dwelling. The property was bought necessary to prevent decay of the conserved. by the current owner in 2013 aŌer fabric; Cefn Mawr Townscape Heritage Initiative – 10 years of Heritage Led Regeneration comes to an end

The Cefn Mawr Townscape Heritage IniƟaƟ ve (THI) Scheme has been in operaƟ on within this historic village for 10 years and has had 2 phases of regeneraƟ on which started in 2005. The programme has successfully repaired renovated and refurbished 29 buildings within the ConservaƟ on Area. The THI scheme is operated by the Heritage LoƩery

Fund which over the 10 years has professionals covering topics from provided over £865,000 of funding The regeneraƟ on programme brickwork and terracoƩ a, roofing to the village. Match funding from targeted both commercial and and leadwork, hot lime mortar, the Council, Cadw and private residenƟ al properƟ es and in Cefn understanding damp and tradiƟonal contribuƟ ons from owners, has Mawr has seen the following works joinery, with the aim of educaƟng seen the total investment in excess undertaken: people in the use of appropriate of £1.6 million.  Structural and external repairs to materials and techniques when building fabric; caring for historic buildings.  Removal of inappropriate finishes and materials and reinstatement of original and tradiƟ onal architectural features;  Reinstatement of tradiƟ onal shop frontages;  Re-use of vacant fl oor space to support the creaƟ on and expansion The impact has been signifi cant of businesses within the village; upon the character and appearance  CreaƟ on of new residenƟal of the ConservaƟ on Area and has accommodaƟ on and refurbishment enhanced the architectural quality, of exisƟ ng underused cohesion and sense of place of this accommodaƟ on at upper fl oor level. important industrial village which has strong historical links to the In addiƟ on the programme Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal has funded training courses on World Heritage Site, located a short tradiƟ onal building skills for local distance away to the south of the residents, businesses, building village. contractors and building PLAS KYNASTON HALL

Repair and Refurbishment of a Grade II listed building at risk to provide 6 aff ordable apartments

Plas Kynaston is located within the having previously served as the local and the Heritage LoƩ ery Fund centre of Cefn Mawr and is a Grade library then offi ces, and was listed on through the Cefn Mawr Townscape II Listed Building. It was built as a the Council’s register of Buildings at Heritage IniƟaƟ ve. Works of house, probably in the early 18th Risk. parƟ cular note have included Century and became of the home of the reinstatement of the earlier the Kynaston family whose industrial In 2012, the Council, the then roof construcƟ on, including the acƟviƟ es led to the development of owners of the building, were reinstatement of the lost dormer the Plas Kynaston Foundary which contacted by the Welsh Georgian windows, the removal of the cement cast the ironwork for the Pontcysyllte Trust (WGT) who were keen to render and its replacement in a more Aqueduct. The building was largely take on a restoraƟ on project in the appropriate lime and the restoraƟon remodelled in the early 19th century local area. AŌ er long discussions, of a parƟcularly fi ne canƟ levered, to its prevalent form but was feasibility studies and invesƟgaƟons, stone staircase which provides the subsequently altered throughout applicaƟ ons for planning permission focus of the communal area. the 20th Century resulƟ ng in and listed building consent were the demoliƟ on of a rear service, submiƩ ed in 2015 for conversion The works were completed in modificaƟ ons to its roof structure, of the property to 6 apartments November 2016 providing a fi ƫng including in the removal of dormer and ownership of the building was end to the latest phase of works windows and hipped roofs over subsequently transferred to the under the Cefn Mawr Townscape the front bays. At some point, the WGT. Heritage IniƟaƟ ve. building was also coated in a hard cemenƟƟ ous render. The works undertaken have been Future proposals are now being supported fi nancially by the developed for the restoraƟ on of the Prior to its recent repair, the building Architectural Heritage Fund, Cadw, communal gardens which provide lay vacant for a number of years Wrexham County Borough Council the seƫ ng for this historic asset. Historic Milestones and Signposts Programme of Minor Repairs now Complete

Wrexham contains 12 listed milestones and signposts previous inappropriate repairs and as a result 3 of the which originate from the late 18th century to the structures were included on the Council’s Buildings at early 20th Century. These historic route markers are Risk Register. considered to be of signifi cance being rare surviving examples of their kind. The listed milestones typically A recent programme of works to these structures comprise stone arches of roughly 2 feet in height has now been completed which has seen 10 of the and carry cast iron plates which depict the distances structures receive minor repairs and improvement and locaƟ ons in raised leƩ ering. The milestones are and most signifi cantly, the reinstatement of late 19th generally clustered around Chirk and along the Ceiriog Century cast iron sign post opposite the juncƟ on of Valley in the west of the County Borough where they Hafod Road (to south of Bersham Enterprise Centre, line the historic routes of the former A5 Holyhead Road Rhostyllen) which had been removed following an through Chirk and the Ceiriog Road which connects earlier vehicle collision. Chirk to Llanarmon Dyff ryn Ceiriog. To the east of the County borough, listed milestones can be found in The 12th milestone is a recent addiƟ on to the list; Overton and Marchwiel where they line the historic located to the south of A525 Wrexham Road in Wrexham to Ellesmere Road. Marchwiel, this late 19th Century milestone was granted listed building status earlier this year and forms The milestones and signposts were suff ering from a one the few surviving milestones on the Wrexham, lack of maintenance, damage and from the eff ects of Whitchurch and Ellesmere Turnpike system. WREXHAM CEMETERY HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND IMPROVEMENT WORKS

Work has now begun on the Heritage LoƩ ery funded project for the restoraƟ on and enhancement of Wrexham Cemetery. A number of trees have been removed to restore the original “gardenesque”, landscape and some secƟ ons of the grade II listed railings, the gates and pillars have been removed to enable restoraƟ on works to be undertaken off site.

Work is underway to restore the grade II listed Chapel buildings, including repoinƟ ng works and selected areas of stone replacement, where secƟ ons of masonry to the walls and arches has decayed. The conservaƟ on of the buildings will conƟ nue unƟ l the early spring.

The buildings will then be opened as a chapel and community space and an area for research into the historical past of the cemetery. The main offi ces will also be located in the cemetery chapel buildings whilst the lodge will be refurbished and used as a private residence once more.

A Part Ɵ me Development Offi cer will begin work aŌ er Christmas to start community development work and encourage volunteers to become involved in the history of the cemetery and research into the past. It is intended to start a Friends of Wrexham Cemetery Group, so if you are interested please contact:

marƟ [email protected]

Cof Cymru Online Access to Designated NaƟ onal & Historic Assets of Wales

Cof Cymru is a new digital mapping resource launched by Cadw to provide access to informaƟon on designated historic assets in Wales. The website displays depicƟ ons and associated record descripƟ ons for scheduled monuments, listed buildings, protected wreck sites, registered historic parks and gardens and World Heritage Sites and gives easy access to copies of lisƟ ng and sched- uling descripƟ ons. The site can be accessed via the link below and a direct link from the Council’s website will soon be available: cadw.gov.wales/historicenvironment/recordsv1/cof-cymru Home Improvement Cadw off ers grants as a contribuƟon towards the costs of repairing and Loan Scheme restoring historic assets as well as Cadw match funding towards community, Similar to the ‘Houses into local authority and third sector led Historic Homes’ loan iniƟaƟ ve, the projects and will consider grant Home Improvement Loan is a off ers to the following: Buildings Welsh Government Scheme Owners for buildings that are off ering an interest free of outstanding architectural interest, Grant loan of up to £25,000 that is ‘at risk’ or where the funding will have specifi cally aimed at improving substanƟ al community regeneraƟ on benefits. exisƟ ng private rented and The rate of grant allocated will usually be no more than 30% of owner occupied residenƟal eligible works. properƟ es across the County Owners of scheduled ancient monuments to protect and Borough. Further informaƟon enhance them. Such grants generally take one of two forms. The on these and other financial fi rst involves a grant to the owner or someone acƟ ng on his/her and pracƟ cal assistance is behalf for works which will benefi t the monument. The second available from Siôn Wynne, is based on a ‘management agreement’ between Cadw and the Private Sector Housing occupier of a monument which lasts for a set number of years. Under such an agreement fi nancial help is given for posiƟ ve works Improvement Offi cer on 01978 on a regular basis, such as fencing, scrub clearance; 315587 or at sion.wynne@ wrexham.gov.uk. Third sector or community groups for projects which promote local heritage under Cadw’s Civic IniƟaƟ ves (Heritage) Grant Scheme. The maximum grant is £5,000 to be match funded by Houses into Homes non-public sector sources;

Loan Scheme Heritage organisaƟ ons to help meet the costs of their work in Wales. This scheme was set up by the Welsh Government and ApplicaƟ on forms, informaƟ on and criteria in relaƟon is targeted at owners of to the 2017 - 2018 round of funding will be empty properƟ es as a means available shortly on CADW’S website at: of helping them undertake the necessary renovaƟons, cadw.wales.gov.uk/ repairs and upgrading to historicenvironment/help-advice-and- return empty properƟ es into grants/grants sustainable, residenƟ al use. The interest free loan off ers up £25,000 per dwelling and is administered by the Council’s Business and contact Investment Team. Further w w w . w r e xham. g o v .uk/planning v o g xham. e r w . w w w informaƟ on on these and Environment and Planning other fi nancial and pracƟ cal 16 Lord Street, assistance is available from Wrexham. Siôn Wynne, Private Sector LL11 1LG Housing Improvement Officer on 01978 315 587 or sion. e mail: [email protected] [email protected]. www.wrexham.gov.uk/planning