N o rth W e s t W a le s D e n d ro c h ro n o lo g y P ro...

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8 5 3

G A T P r o je c t N o . 2 1 1 3

R e p o r t N o . 8 5 3

M a r c h , 2 0 1 0

N o r t h W e s t W a le s D e n d r o c h r o n o lo g y P r o je c t :

Y m d d ir ie d o la e t h A r c h a e o le g o l G w y n e d d

G w y n e d d A r c h a e o lo g ic a l T r u s tC r a ig B e u n o , F fo r d d y G a r t h , B a n g o r, G w y n e d d , L L 5 7 2 R T

T h e G a t e h o u s e , B e a u m a r i s

2

Report No. 853

Prepared forNorth West Wales Dendrochronology Project

March 2010

ByAndrew Davidson

&Tanya Berks





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C o n t e n t s

L o c a t io n 1In t r o d u c t io n 1M e t h o d o lo g y 1S u r v e y r e p o r t 1D e n d r o c h r o n o lo g y s a m p lin g 3C o n c lu s io n 3





4

F i g u r e s

F ig u r e 1 L o c a t io n m a p 4F ig u r e 2 1 9 1 4 O r d n a n c e S u r v e y A n g le s e y C o u n t y S e r ie s 5F ig u r e 3 T h e G a t e h o u s e B e a u m a r is g r o u n d f lo o r p la n 6F ig u r e 4 T h e G a t e h o u s e B e a u m a r is f ir s t f lo o r p la n 7F ig u r e 5 T h e G a t e h o u s e B e a u m a r is s e c o n d flo o r p la n 8F ig u r e 6 T r u s s e s 1 a n d 2 . 9F ig u r e 7 B u ild in g e le v a t io n s h o w in g t r u s s 1 . 1 0

P l a t e s

P la t e 1 G r o u n d f lo o r liv in g r o o m , s h o w in g f ir e p la c e . 1 1P la t e 2 G r o u n d f lo o r liv in g r o o m , s h o w in g f r o n t d o o r . 1 1P la t e 3 G r o u n d f lo o r liv in g r o o m , s h o w in g c e ilin g t im b e r s . 1 2P la t e 4 G r o u n d f lo o r liv in g r o o m , s h o w in g s t a ir c a s e . 1 2P la t e 5 G r o u n d f lo o r d in in g r o o m , s h o w in g f ir e p la c e . 1 3P la t e 6 G r o u n d f lo o r d in in g r o o m , s h o w in g f r o n t d o o r . 1 3P la t e 7 G r o u n d f lo o r d in in g r o o m , s h o w in g c e ilin g t im b e r s . 1 4P la t e 8 G r o u n d f lo o r d in in g r o o m , s h o w in g w in d o w . 1 4P la t e 9 S t a ir w a y s h o w in g b lo c k e d w in d o w . 1 5P la t e 1 0 R e a r b e d r o o m . 1 5P la t e 1 1 R e a r b e d r o o m . 1 6P la t e 1 2 B a t h r o o m , s h o w in g t im b e r s 1 6P la t e 1 3 F r o n t b e d r o o m 1 7P la t e 1 4 F r o n t b e d r o o m 1 7P la t e 1 5 F r o n t b e d r o o m s h o w in g c e ilin g t im b e r s 1 8P la t e 1 6 F r o n t b e d r o o m s h o w in g c h a m fe r e d b e a m 1 8P la t e 1 7 S t a ir c a s e le a d in g a n d b lo c k e d w in d o w 1 9P la t e 1 8 D o o r le a d in g t o a t t ic 1 9P la t e 1 9 T r u s s 1 in s e c o n d flo o r f r o n t r o o m 2 0P la t e 2 0 T r u s s 1 in s e c o n d flo o r f r o n t r o o m 2 0P la t e 2 1 T r u s s 1 d e t a il 2 1P la t e 2 2 T r u s s 2 2 1P la t e 2 3 T r u s s 2 d e t a il 2 2P la t e 2 4 A t t ic r o o m , s h o w in g t im b e r d e t a il 2 2





North West Wales Dendrochronology Project

The Gatehouse, Castle Street, Beaumaris, Anglesey. NGR SH 60477601

LocationCastle Street, BeaumarisCommunity Council: BeaumarisCounty: AngleseyPRN: 11045NPRN: 15633Listed Building Status: II, Record Number 5609

IntroductionThis report contains the results of a survey undertaken to complement the dating oftimbers at The Gatehouse, Castle Street, Beaumaris, as part of the North West WalesDendrochronology project. The survey was undertaken on 26 February 2010 shortlyafter the dendrochronology sampling. Documentary research will be undertaken byvolunteers to accompany this survey, and separate reports will be issued describingthe results of the documentary survey and of the dendrochronology sampling.

A brief for the survey was provided by North West Wales Dendrochronology Project,and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust provided a design to meet the specification of thebrief.

MethodologyThe survey was undertaken using a combination of reflectorless EDM and handsurvey. The results from the surveys were overlaid onto architect plans prepared byBowen Dann Davies partnership in 1981 when alterations were made to the house.

Survey reportThe Gatehouse lies at the lower (south-west) end of Castle Street in Beaumaris. It isso named because it lies on the site of the original gatehouse located through the townwall on Castle Street, and clearly shown on John Speed’s plan of the town in 1610.One of the very few surviving sections of medieval town wall lies on the north side ofthe property, and extends beyond the present property a short distance to the north-west. The house therefore lies immediately outside the former town wall. The townwall was built as a direct consequence of the Glyndwr revolt, though an attack on theborough by a small Scottish landing party in 1381, when a number of houses weredamaged, must have encouraged the idea, and as early as 1315 the burgesses had beenpetitioning the King for a wall (Carr 1982, 240). In 1407 a grant of ten pounds wasmade for the construction of a ditch, and the returns of 1413-14 reveal that some thirtyburgages had been destroyed by the construction of a new stone wall (Carr 1982,245-6). Repairs were undertaken to the wall in 1536-8 for which detailed accountssurvive (Knoop and Jones 1935). Virtually all the wall has now gone, and theremnant by Castle Street is one of only two short lengths surviving.

The Gatehouse fronts on to Castle Street and is of 2½ storeys. It is flanked by tallerbuildings either side. The front is pebble-dashed with rendered quoins, the pitchedroof is of slate, with a single chimney on the left gable. The front door is slightly

right of centre, and is flanked by two windows on the ground floor, with two above onthe first floor and two modern dormers on the second floor.

The present house consists of a three-bay range fronting Castle Street and a rear wingof two bays with a lower roofline. A modern kitchen has been added to the rear of thefront bay alongside the earlier wing, and a modern extension has been added to theend of the rear wing.

On the ground floor the principal range is now a single room, divided by largechamfered beams. The beam along the north-east wall lies on heavy stone corbels.This is echoed also on the first and second floors, and may indicate former timberframing on this end of the building, to keep it away from the town wall against whichit currently abuts. Squared joists rest on top of the beams, but are not notched in.There are no mortise joints visible to suggest any of the principal beams once carrieda partition. The rear door opens into the modern kitchen, and this has an outer frameof chamfered limestone slabs, of 14th century appearance, and very possibly reusedfrom the original gatehouse. A fireplace projects into the room on the south-westwall, and a wooden lintel supports the chimney, which rises up through the first andsecond floors. The present staircase rises up alongside the fireplace to the first floor.

The rear wing is reached from the present kitchen. It is a small wing, dividedlongitudinally into two bays by a single large chamfered beam which supportssquared joists. A large fireplace lies at the north-west end of the room, with a narrowspace alongside that might formerly have led to a door. A large modern opening orwindow pierces the wall between this wing and the present kitchen.

A blocked window and possible door are visible in the south-west wall off the firststair landing. The first floor is essentially two large bays divided by a chamferedbeam. Squared rafters run between these and the two walls – a chamfered beamsupports the joists on the inside of the north-east wall, as on the ground floor. Thenorth-west rafters appear to be largely supported by the fireplace lintel, thought all isblocked up here so it is difficult to be sure of this. In the south corner of the room isan alcove alongside the project stack – this may be a blocked door also.

The rear wing is of two bays divided across the room by a chamfered beam. Another,slightly smaller, beam runs across the front of the stack at ceiling level. The fireplaceis blocked, though a small door allows entry to part of the space behind. Alongsidethe stack an alcove leads to another door.

On the landing to the second floor is another blocked opening in the south-west wall.The roof space of the rear wing is also reached through a small door which lies halfway up the stairs, but also above the level of the stairs. The second floor is the atticspace. The principal roof truss, a collar beam truss with raking struts, divides theroom into two bays. The former slots for wide purlins are visible in the principalrafters, but these have been removed and square purlins inserted. The rafters are notvisible, but it is likely these were renewed with the purlins. A single upright on thesouth-east side runs between the floor and the principal rafter. A tennon for one onthe opposite side shows a second one has been removed.

The second floor of the rear wing has access from a small door part way up the stairs.This is divided into two bays by a simple truss. The two principal rafters are jointedat the top with a through mortise and tennon, and a ridge beam lies in the ‘V’ createdby the through principals. A single purlin is located on each side. The squared raftersare pegged through the purlins.

Dendrochronology samplingTen samples were taken from the main house, one from an axial beam on the groundfloor, two from joists on the ground floor, four from joists on the first floor and threefrom the collar beam truss. Two samples were taken from the rear wing, one fromeach of the principal rafters of the centre truss.

ConclusionsA small town house of three bays lying immediately adjacent to and outside asurviving section of the former town wall. A doorway from the medieval gatehouseappears to have been rebuilt into the north wall of the house. A rear wing has beenadded onto the north side. The house survives largely intact, though there is littleindication of earlier internal divisions. The roof truss and axial beams on the groundand first floor suggest a mid-17th century date. This conflicts with the Listed Buildingdescription which suggests 18th century.

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F ig u

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5

4

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T h e

G a t

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u s e

5

10

0 4 m

F i g u r e 3 : T h e G a t e H o u s e , B e a u m a r is . G ro u n d fl o o r p la n .

O r ig in a l b u ild in g

L a t e r e x t e n s io n s

11

0 4 m

F i g u r e 4 : T h e G a t e H o u s e , B e a u m a r is . F ir s t fl o o r p la n .



12

0 4 m

F i g u r e 5 : T h e G a t e H o u s e , B e a u m a r is . S e c o n d fl o o r p la n .



T ru s s 1

T r u s s 2

13

0 4 m

F i g u r e 6 : T r u s s e s 1 a n d 2 . L o c a t io n c a n b e s e e n in fi g u re 5 .

T r u s s 1

T r u s s 2

S EN W

N ES W

14

0 4 m

S E

N W

F ig u

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7 :B u ild in g e le v a tio n sh o w in g tru ss 1 .

10

15

P l a t e 1 : G ro u n d fl o o r liv in g ro o m , s h o w in g fi re p la c e . F a c in g s o u t h -w e s t

P l a t e 2 : G ro u n d fl o o r liv in g ro o m , s h o w in g fro n t d o o r. F a c in g s o u t h - e a s t

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P la t

e 3 :

G ro u n d

fl o o r liv in g ro o m , sh o w

in g c e ilin g tim b e rs. F a c in g n o rth -w e st

P la t

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G ro u n d

fl o o r liv in g ro o m , sh o w

in g sta irc a se to

fi rst fl o o r. F a c in g

so u th

12

17

P l a t e 5 : G ro u n d fl o o r d in in g ro o m , s h o w in g fi re p la c e . F a c in g n o r t h -w e s t

P l a t e 6 : G ro u n d fl o o r d in in g ro o m . F a c in g s o u t h - e a s t

18

P l a t e 7 : G ro u n d fl o o r d in in g ro o m , s h o w in g c e ilin g t im b e rs . F a c in g s o u t h - e a s t

P l a t e 8 : G ro u n d fl o o r d in in g ro o m . S h o w in g re p la c e m e n t w in d o w t h ro u g h t o k it c h e n . F a c in g n o r t h - e a s t

19

P l a t e 9 : S t a ir w a y , s h o w in g b lo c k e d w in d o w . F a c in g s o u t h - w e s t

P l a t e 1 0 : R e a r b e d ro o m . F a c in g n o r t h -w e s t

20

P l a t e 1 1 : R e a r b e d ro o m . F a c in g s o u t h - e a s t

P l a t e 1 2 : B a t h ro o m , s h o w in g t im b e rs . F a c in g n o r t h -w e s t

21

P l a t e 1 3 : F ro n t b e d ro o m . F a c in g N o r t h - e a s t

P l a t e 1 4 : F ro n t b e d ro o m . F a c in g s o u t h

22

P l a t e 1 5 : F ro n t b e d ro o m , s h o w in g c e ilin g t im b e r s . F a c in g N o r t h - e a s t

P l a t e 1 6 : F ro n t b e d ro o m , s h o w in g c h a m fe re d b e a m . F a c in g s o u t h

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P la t

e 1 7

:S ta irc a se le a d in g

fro m

fi rst fl o o r to se c o n d fl o o r, sh o w

in g b lo c k e d

w in d o w

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P la t

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:D o o r le a d in g in to a ttic , sh o w in g sta irc a se to

fi rst fl o o r.

F a c in g n o rth -w

e st

19

24

P l a t e 1 9 : T ru s s 1 in s e c o n d fl o o r fro n t ro o m . F a c in g e a s t

P l a t e 2 0 : T ru s s 1 d e t a il in s e c o n d fl o o r fro n t ro o m . F a c in g e a s t

25

P l a t e 2 1 : T ru s s 1 d e t a il in s e c o n d fl o o r fro n t ro o m . F a c in g w e s t

P l a t e 2 2 : T ru s s 2 in a t t ic ro o m . F a c in g s o u t h -w e s t

26

P l a t e 2 3 : T r u s s 2 d e t a il o f t h e c o lla r b e a m t r u s s r id g e b e a m , F a c in g n o r t h -w e s t

P l a t e 2 4 : A t t ic ro o m , s h o w in g t im b e r d e t a il. F a c in g n o r t h -w e s t

27

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