Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
1800
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
15/06/1990
Date of Amendment
31/01/1994
Name of Property
Former County Buildings
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Wrexham
Community
Offa
Town
Locality
Easting
333177
Northing
350434
Street Side
S
Location
Occupying a large site between Saint Mark's Road and Saint Mary's Pro-Cathedral on W side of town centre. Set to rear of extensive forecourt.
Description
Broad Class
Civil
Period
History
Built as militia barracks 1857-8 to the designs of the younger Thomas Penson, architect and surveyor. Converted C1879 to a divisional police station and magistrates court, and extended in the 1890's. Latterly used as council offices and Art college annexe.
Exterior
Roughly coursed and squared stone with freestone dressings and steep slate roofs, with coped gables and axial and end wall stacks with chamfered shafts. Tudor gothic style, a courtyard plan with 2 storey, 5-bay entrance front flanked by advanced gabled ranges to either side. Central gable over main entrance in loggia (now glazed) comprising 5 bays of chamfered depressed gothic arches sprung between dwarf buttresses. 4-light oriel window with leaded roof over entrance, flanked by 3-light windows each side, all with mullions and transoms. Lower gabled wings similarly detailed: the right hand gable is advanced from the main range and houses entrance to No 1 court in its own gabled rear wing. Left hand range clasps the outer angle of the main front, and has a further rear wing, parallel to the main range. Projecting stair tower to No. 2 court at angle of the 2 ranges: Chamfered buttressed tower, with deep moulded arched doorway, the staircase expressed under a sloping, embattled roofline with stepped windows, to the left; the tower terminates in octagonal turret with miniature crenellations around slate spirelet with openwork crown and weather vane. Wide gabled returns each side, then rear wings and lower gabled rear cross range. Circular turrets at rear angles with window loops and conical roofs.
Interior
Original layout modified since 1980 by the enlargement of some rooms, the creation of circulation space, and the enclosing of the courtyard.
Reason for designation
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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