86954

 

II  

Designated  

15/11/2005  

15/11/2005  

Water tower at Bettisfield Park  

 

Wrexham  

Hanmer  

 

Bettisfield Park  

346082  

337572  

 

To the N of the house and SE side of The Stables.  

 

 

Bettisfield Park was the seat of the Hanmer family and is a house of at least C16 origin. A new S entrance front was built in the late C18, probably by Samuel Wyatt of London. In the mid C19 there were further additions, including a new entrance on the E side, an Italianate tower, and a Tudor-style tower with French pavilion roof. The water tower was built in 1842 (date on building), contemporary with additions to the house, and part of the development of service buildings and Home Farm at Bettisfield Park. It is shown on the 1873 Ordnance Survey with a range, possibly contemporary or earlier, on its W side.  

An Italianate 4-stage tower of brick with pyramidal slate roof on deep bracketed eaves. The entrance is on the E side, a panel door in a moulded doorcase, beneath a large stone tablet with '1842' in raised numerals. Above it is a 16-pane horizontal-sliding sash window in an architrave in the 2nd stage, and small-pane oculus in the 3rd stage. The N side has a 16-pane horizontal-sliding sash window in an architrave in the lower stage. The 2nd and 3rd stages have blind windows. The W and S faces have a blind oculus at the 3rd stage. The upper stage is arcaded in each face, comprising 5 arches and blind except for small-pane glazing to the central arch. Against the W wall is a former 1-storey coach house or stable (shown on the 1873 Ordnance Survey), subsequently used as a garage and now converted to a dwelling. It is brick with slate roof behind coped gables and finials similar to the Stables. It has 3 original openings on the S side and a later opening in the W gable end, all altered. On the S side is a late C20 1-storey projection, and a coped brick wall against the SE angle.  

 

Listed for its special interest as an unusual form of outbuilding and of definite C19 architectural character, contributing to the strong group of service buildings at Bettisfield Park.