Chirk Part 1 of 2 - PDF format 2.8Mb - Wrexham County Borough ...
Chirk Part 1 of 2 - PDF format 2.8Mb - Wrexham County Borough ... Chirk Part 1 of 2 - PDF format 2.8Mb - Wrexham County Borough ...
6The gardens included a banqueting house, asummerhouse, an orangery, deer and fishponds,fruit and vegetables such as figs and asparagusand a boathouse. The garden eventually fell intodecline, and by 1931 became part of land used forcolliery housing for Black Park, but the walls,terrace and impressively large mount survive. In2001 plans began to repair the listed structures atWhitehurst.There was also an element of urbanisation in the17th, 18th and 19th century in Chirk. Numerousinfluential landowners and industrialists such as theMyddletons, Trevors, Kynastons, Myttons, Eytonsand the Wards exploited local mineral reservessuch as iron, coal, slate, limestone and clay. Theinflux of men with money to the town - sometimesfrom far afield - may have had an impact on thearchitectural character of the town centre. By themiddle of the 18th century, it appears that theGeorgian architectural style gained influenceamongst the local gentry and industrialists,replacing the vernacular style of house building.Good Georgian examples in the town include TheMount at the southern end of Church Street, andthe Hand Hotel. Telford's A5 road from London toDublin was built at the beginning of the 19thCentury, which widened the road and setmilestones along the route, significantly altering theoriginal layout of medieval Chirk. It also createdbusiness opportunities in the town centre,particularly in the form of hostelries and inns. Mosthave now largely disappeared or have beenextensively remodelled.The 19th Century also introduced the Victorian codeof moral and social responsibility to the town. Thismanifested itself in a number of buildings. CharlotteMyddleton-Biddulph of Chirk Castle Estate had asignificant influence in this. She commissioned thePicturesque Hand Terrace, estate workers cottagesbuilt in 1820 - 5, and the Neo Elizabethan FormerNational Girls School of 1843 - 4 by Augustus Pugin,co-architect of the Houses of Parliament, 'with anaptness of style to function'.The aqueduct and viaductOutside the town centre the great advances intransport and communication in the 18th and 19thCentury led to the construction of the magnificentaqueduct and viaduct to the south west of Chirk.Designed by Telford and Henry Robertsonrespectively, these great engineers effectively andelegantly spanned the Ceiriog Valley to createstunning pieces of architecture in yellow sandstone,whilst furthering the canal and rail networksrespectively. The viaduct was built deliberately
higher than the aqueduct to emphasis thesuperiority of rail over water.The later 19th and earlier 20th Century expansion ofthe town was piecemeal. The significant buildingstyle of this period in Chirk belongs to theEdwardian era. Chirk Town Council Offices onHolyhead Road is an excellent example of a neo-Jacobean domestic style public building in theEdwardian period. The War Memorial on thejunction of Holyhead and Station Road is particularlyremarkable. It was commissioned by Lord Howardde Walden of Chirk Castle and designed by thenoted designer and sculptor Eric Gill, after WorldWar I. The austerity of the form, the pathos of thefigured relief and the spare elegance of the letteringhave achieved great dignity. Also of note is BrynCoed in Castle Road, built in 1912 by Shayler andEridge, architects for A. Wood, a manager forBrynkinallt Colliery, in a Restoration revival style. Noless significant are the Edwardian properties liningStation Road, with a simple restrained decorationthat has been largely unaltered.The later 20th Century has seen political changesin local government, which has perhaps led todiffering aspirations and approaches to the town.Before 1974 it was governed locally, from CastleRoad. From 1974 to 1996 it fell under theadministration of Glynd@r District Council, based inRuthin, within Clwyd County. From 1996 WrexhamCounty Borough Council has administered the area.The town centre is the main commercial core ofChirk. Today it is recognised as an importantneighbourhood shopping centre, covering a diverserange of goods and services, with approximately 30businesses currently located there, to support apopulation of almost 4000 in Chirk community itself,but also a wider community in the Ceiriog valley ofapproximately 2000. However, the vitality andviability of the town has been threatened in recentyears. This is partly as a result of the followingpertinent issues: - low tourism visits to town centre, despite itsfundamental but unrealised architectural beautyand character and the proximity to nearby touristattractions, such as the castle (owned by theNational Trust) and canal; re-routing of the main transport route, althoughthis has resulted in a reduction in traffic and anincrease in the quality of the environment;Thomas TelfordBryn CoedChirk Castle gates7
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6The gardens included a banqueting house, asummerhouse, an orangery, deer and fishponds,fruit and vegetables such as figs and asparagusand a boathouse. The garden eventually fell intodecline, and by 1931 became part <strong>of</strong> land used forcolliery housing for Black Park, but the walls,terrace and impressively large mount survive. In2001 plans began to repair the listed structures atWhitehurst.There was also an element <strong>of</strong> urbanisation in the17th, 18th and 19th century in <strong>Chirk</strong>. Numerousinfluential landowners and industrialists such as theMyddletons, Trevors, Kynastons, Myttons, Eytonsand the Wards exploited local mineral reservessuch as iron, coal, slate, limestone and clay. Theinflux <strong>of</strong> men with money to the town - sometimesfrom far afield - may have had an impact on thearchitectural character <strong>of</strong> the town centre. By themiddle <strong>of</strong> the 18th century, it appears that theGeorgian architectural style gained influenceamongst the local gentry and industrialists,replacing the vernacular style <strong>of</strong> house building.Good Georgian examples in the town include TheMount at the southern end <strong>of</strong> Church Street, andthe Hand Hotel. Telford's A5 road from London toDublin was built at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the 19thCentury, which widened the road and setmilestones along the route, significantly altering theoriginal layout <strong>of</strong> medieval <strong>Chirk</strong>. It also createdbusiness opportunities in the town centre,particularly in the form <strong>of</strong> hostelries and inns. Mosthave now largely disappeared or have beenextensively remodelled.The 19th Century also introduced the Victorian code<strong>of</strong> moral and social responsibility to the town. Thismanifested itself in a number <strong>of</strong> buildings. CharlotteMyddleton-Biddulph <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chirk</strong> Castle Estate had asignificant influence in this. She commissioned thePicturesque Hand Terrace, estate workers cottagesbuilt in 1820 - 5, and the Neo Elizabethan FormerNational Girls School <strong>of</strong> 1843 - 4 by Augustus Pugin,co-architect <strong>of</strong> the Houses <strong>of</strong> Parliament, 'with anaptness <strong>of</strong> style to function'.The aqueduct and viaductOutside the town centre the great advances intransport and communication in the 18th and 19thCentury led to the construction <strong>of</strong> the magnificentaqueduct and viaduct to the south west <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chirk</strong>.Designed by Telford and Henry Robertsonrespectively, these great engineers effectively andelegantly spanned the Ceiriog Valley to createstunning pieces <strong>of</strong> architecture in yellow sandstone,whilst furthering the canal and rail networksrespectively. The viaduct was built deliberately
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