Marchwiel Conservation Area Assessment and Management Plan

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hist ory and dev elopment2 History and Development2.1 Little is known of the origins of Marchwiel but it isbelieved that a Church and small settlement existed onthe site from as early as the 13th and 14th Centuryevidenced by the remains of a cross base in theChurchyard which is believed to be 14th Century inorigin. The oldest buildings within the village datepredominantly from the late 18th and 19th Centuries.2.2 During the Middle Ages Marchwiel formed part ofthe Lordship of Bromfield and Yale, which later becamethe Welsh Maelor. At this time Bangor, which was hometo a large monastery, owned the church in Marchwielwhich was said to be called Deiniol Chappel. It is fromthis chapel that Marchwiel is said to derive its name,with Marchwiel meaning "stray twigs" and this being thepredominant material from which the original chapel wasconstructed. Documentary evidence suggests that asmall community existed at Marchwiel in the early 17thCentury when in 1626 a messuage was willed for repairsto be carried out to the church.2.3 Whilst there may have been a Church like structureon or near the current Church site since the 13thCentury, much of the present day Church dates from thelate 18th Century and is of neo-classical Georgian design.In 1774 the church was rebuilt to a design by WilliamWorrell following public subscription. It is suggested thatthe great engineer Christopher Wren had an input to thedesign of the church when he was staying at WynnstayHall, near Ruabon, in 1709. The church was furtheraltered in 1789 when the west tower, designed by JamesWyatt, was constructed at the request of Philip Yorke ofErddig. Further enlargement of the church occurred in1829 when the north transept was added.2.4 The church, dedicated to Saint Marcella and Deniol,has close links to Erddig Hall and the Yorke Family andhas a decorative stained glass window depicting theYorke family tree. To the outside of the church belowthis window is the Yorke family vault. Further memorialsto the Yorke family, dating back to the mid 18th Centurycan be found inside the church. The pipe organ, whichwas restored in the 1990's, was given to the church bythe widow of Benjamin Piercy of Marchwiel Hall in 1888.2.5 The earliest domestic buildings within theConservation Area date from the 18th Century when thevillage grew as a result of its location abreast the early18th Century turnpike road from Chester to Shrewsbury.The nearby stone quarry and large estates at Erddig andMarchwiel Hall possibly also acted as a stimulus for thesettlement to establish and grow. A brickworks wassituated to the east of the Conservation Area close toBrickyard Cottages from which their name is derived.2.6 The Topographical Survey of Wales (1849) bySamuel Lewis records the population of Marchwiel, atthat time a small parish of Wrexham Union andcontaining the townships of both Marchwiel and Sontley,as being 553. The survey also records that MarchwielHall was the residence of a younger branch of theBroughton Family who had been resident in the areasince the early 17th Century.2.7 Lewis' survey also recorded a National school in theparish at the time. The school was established by LordKenyon of the Gredington Estate near Hanmer and waslocated on Woodhouse Lane to the south west of theConservation Area across from Marchwiel Hall. A schoolwas not built within the main village settlement until4
hist ory and dev elopment1874 on the site of the current J Scott Furnishers onWrexham Road.2.8 In 1895 the Cambrian Railway opened theWrexham to Ellesmere line and a station wasestablished in Marchwiel about 1km to the north eastof the church. This appears to have had a verylimited effect on the early expansion of the villagewith only 4 new buildings being erected between1899 and 1912. The passenger service wasdiscontinued in 1962 and the lines and railwaybuildings removed.2.9 The most significant expansion of thesettlement came in the mid to late 20th Century withthe development of new housing to the north of thehistoric core. With little employment and retailfacilities the village now acts as a commuter villagefor nearby Wrexham and Chester.5
Page 1 and 2: Marchwiel Conservation AreaAssessme
Page 3 and 4: contentsPart I - Character Assessme
Page 5 and 6: Part 1Character Assessment
Page 7 and 8: introductionConservation Area Desig
Page 9: hist ory and dev elopment2 Historya
Page 13 and 14: hist ory and dev elopmentFigure 2:
Page 15 and 16: summary of special character3 Summa
Page 17 and 18: summary of special characterobtain
Page 21 and 22: character in det ailCentury house.T
Page 23 and 24: character in det aildetailing inclu
Page 25 and 26: character in det ailThe Western Ter
Page 27 and 28: character in det ailattached to the
Page 29 and 30: summary of negative fe a ture s5 Su
Page 31 and 32: enhancement planPart 2Enhancement P
Page 33 and 34: design guidance7 DesignGuidance27
Page 35 and 36: design guidanceRainwaterGoods7.5 Ra
Page 37 and 38: c onserv a tion are a controls8 Con
Page 39 and 40: sources of funding9 Sources of Fund
Page 41 and 42: appendix 2APPENDIX 2CONSERVATION PO
Page 43 and 44: Turnpike RoadVernacularappendix 3A

Marchwiel Conservation Area Assessment and Management Plan

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