658

 

II  

Designated  

04/06/1952  

01/02/1995  

Owain Glyndwr Hotel  

 

Denbighshire  

Corwen  

 

Corwen  

307881  

343456  

S  

Prominently sited on the main street in the centre of the town, in front of the church.  

Commercial  

 

The building is largely of c1740, but incorporates parts of an earlier structure. It was extended by a wing set back slightly to the W in c1890, and re-roofed at the same time. It is reputedly the place where the first public Eisteddfod was held in 1789.  

Coursed and squared stone, painted. Hipped slate roof with red tiled decorative cresting with finials. The late C19 wing has a similar roof, and is roughcast rendered with smooth rendered dressings and some terracotta enrichment. The C18 building is 2 storeyed with attics, a 7-window range with central entrance up steps. Paired doors with radial fanlight, in Corinthian portico porch. Wood mullioned and transomed windows with small panes and cambered voussoir heads to ground floor, 12-pane sashes with flat arched heads to first floor (blind window space over doorway filled by a painted inn-sign). Moulded eaves band. 3 gabled dormers in the roof have 12-pane sash windows. Later rear wing to W. Late C19 block facing street is also 2-storeyed with attic. 4-window range with entrance adjacent to original building. Paired windows to ground floor are 3-pane sashes with stained glass upper margin lights. Similar windows flank paired oriels to first floor. Paired gabled dormers in the roof, to either side of a front wall stack. Parallel range to rear (alongside boundary with churchyard) may be a C20 addition, replacing earlier buildings.  

The building retains a number of C18 features, including a fine staircase which has scroll-moulded tread ends, turned balusters and newels, and a swept rail. There are also several 6-panelled interior doors. In the rear of the C18 block, there are substantial ceiling timbers including the bressumer to a former fireplace and a chamfered spine beam and joists, which almost certainly relate to an earlier building on the site, remodelled c1740.  

A fine example of a C18 coaching inn, which has retained most of its original character, and which is a highly significant element of the townscape.