Salisbury Park Conservation Area

Salisbury Park Welsh: Parc Salisbury
Conservation area
Pen y Bryn Baptist Chapel, located on Chapel Street, in the west of Salisbury Park
Salisbury Park Location within Wrexham
OS grid reference	SJ3338049850
Principal area	Wrexham
Preserved county	Clwyd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WREXHAM
Postcode district	LL13
Dialling code	01978
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Wrexham
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Wrexham
List of places UK Wales Wrexham 53°02′29″N 2°59′37″W / 53.04147°N 2.99374°W / 53.04147; -2.99374

Salisbury Park (Welsh: Parc Salisbury) is a conservation area in Wrexham, North Wales. Located to the south of Wrexham city centre, it is centred on Salisbury Road and Chapel Street, as well as other adjacent streets. It contains multiple listed buildings.

The Salisbury Park Conservation Area (Welsh: Ardal Gadwraeth Parc Salisbury) covers areas to the south of

In the 14–15th centuries, Wrexham was centred around St Giles' Church, with radial streets coming outwards of St Giles to the north, west and east. Most of the area was farmland, while Pen y Bryn, an adjacent street to the conservation area's northwest, dates to the medieval period, with some of its buildings possibly retaining some features of the period.^[2]

In the 17th and 18th centuries, many buildings in the area were constructed. This includes Beechley, No. 1 Chapel Street, the Pen y Bryn Baptist Chapel, and Poplar Cottage. The Pen y Bryn Baptist Chapel eventually gave the adjacent street its name. In the 18th century, Chapel Street, then called Street Draw, was potentially laid out at this time, to provide accommodation for Wrexham's increasing population as it expanded along the main route connecting Wrexham to Ruabon and Oswestry.^[2]

By the mid-19th century, streets were built in the modern-day conservation area, highlighting the spread of population into the area. In 1833, the area's main through-route was from Chapel Street to Poplar Road and then Madeira Hill, as Salisbury Road did not yet exist. Although a footpath followed where Salisbury Road now stands, with the path going towards Beechley House, and the nearby original Green Dragon building, located at the centre of Wrexham Fechan which is now Salop Road going into Hightown. Most of the buildings at the time were located along Chapel Street (then as Street Draw) and its junctions with Erddig Road and Pen y Bryn.^[2]

From the mid-19th century, Salisbury Road was developed, with it marked on maps in 1872 as Salisbury Park, which the conservation area is named after. The name Salisbury is derived from Colonel Salisbury, to who the land was inherited to in the 18th century from his family, the Thewells. Development of the road in the mid-19th century was mainly concentrated along the road's northern side, with large Victorian villas encased in their own grounds being constructed. While along Poplar Road and Fairfield Street, more modest residences were constructed.^[2]

From 1872 to the 1900s, the next major development in the area was the construction of St Giles School, situated on Poplar Road, and the Salisbury Park Congregational Chapel, which is located on the corner of Percy Road and Salisbury Road.^[2]

The development of St Giles School occurred in two phases, depending on the growing educational needs of the growing population of Wrexham. The first school building to open was what is now St Giles

In 1898, the Salisbury Park Congregational Chapel was constructed near the junction of Madeira Hill, Poplar Road, Salisbury Road and Talbot Road. The building was however demolished in 1981, and described as "one of the [area's] most regretted losses" by Wrexham council. The site where it once stood is now occupied on its Salisbury Road side by Nos. 3, 5 and 7 Y Groes, and Church Court, and on its Percy Road side by Nos. 1 and 3, and the Salisbury Park United Reform Church.[2]

Further residences were developed along Poplar Road, with Nos. 9, 11 and 13 terraces, which continue the terrace along Earle Street. Additionally, villas were constructed between 1872 and 1899, at Nos. 16 and 18 Salisbury Road, No. 51 Talbot Road, No. 27 Poplar Road and Nos. 6 and 8 Chapel Street. At the same time, Percy Road saw extensive development, while the road gets its name from the Dukes of Northumberland, the Percy family.^[2]

By the 20th century, the Cambrian Brewery was situated to Chapel Street's rear, an example of Wrexham's significant brewing industry at the time. In the early part of the 20th century, Salisbury Road's south side was developed with eight villas with Ruabon red brickwork, while infill development occurred on the road's north side. During the rest of the century, many historic buildings in the area were demolished, particularly at the Chapel Street, Erddig Road and Poplar Road junction which contained many short terraced buildings and a courtyard. This site of now demolished buildings was known as The Bonc, and now serves as playing fields for St Giles School. Other buildings demolished also included the Victorian terrace No.  1 to 4 Ar y Bryn, along Earle Street, with No. 3 reportedly the residence of Alfred Neobard Palmer, a local historian. Throughout the late 20th century, buildings were built on the areas of the demolished buildings in the Salisbury Park area, namely a Co-op store. Chapel Street and Poplar Road mainly have amenities and public services, while Salisbury Road remains primarily residential.^[2]

Salisbury Road (Welsh: Ffordd Salisbury) was developed in the mid 19th-century, with the area marked on maps as Salisbury Park by 1872. The road's northern side was first developed, followed by its southern side. The name Salisbury is derived from Colonel Salisbury, who inherited the land in the 18th century from his family, the Thewells. The road is largely residential.^[2]

Oteley House, now known as Bradbury House, is a Grade II listed building situated on the junction between Salisbury Road and Salop Road, in Wrexham, North Wales. It is prominently located on high ground and within its own grounds. The building served as a residence but is now used as a convent and is dated to 1867. The building is a Victorian villa and is in the Gothic architectural style. Its exterior is of coursed and squared stone, specifically yellow sandstone,^[2] and it has a slate roof. Its interior is still of its original plan and contains its original encaustic tiling on its top-lit entrance and stair hall.^[3][4][5] The building was likely designed by local architect J.R. Gummow, who then lived in the building. It was home to William Sissons, the Cambrian Brewery owner, from 1881, and later between 1958 and 1998 it was home to a convent. Shortly after, the building was converted from a residence into offices, and its name changed from Oteley House to Bradbury House, with the building home to the charities Chariotts and Dynamic.^[6]

Beechley is a Grade II listed building in Wrexham, North Wales. Located at 2 Kingsmills Road, it is located within Salisbury Park, and adjacent to Bennion's Road which is adjacent to Salisbury Road.^[4][7][8] It now houses multiple apartments.^[9]

It was built in 1720, and at the time it had no specific name of its own, although was called "Dursley's" or "Darsley's" for some years.^[9] It was described by local historian Alfred Neobard Palmer as "new" by 1726, with the frontage range of the building appearing to date to roughly the same period, with an interior remodelling likely dating to the same time. While the building's parallel rear range is a later addition, dating to c. 1830. The two-storey building's exterior is a rendering over brick, and it has a slate roof.^{[4][7][8][10]}

The house and its surrounding land was owned by Thomas Jones, and described in rate books from 1726 as the "New House". By 1747, the house was occupied by George Ravenscroft, and was later bought in c. 1749 by Denbighshire High Sheriff, William Jones. By 1780, while the Jones' were still the landlords, John Bell occupied the house until his death in 1781, and various other tenants thereafter.^[9]

In c. 1784, Beechley was bought by Thomas Bennion, whose family resided in the house until the mid-19th century. The family also owned land around the house, with a road "Bennion's Lane" (now Bennion's Road) being named after them.^[9] From 1871, the house was occupied by a John Lewis and his family. It was burgled in 1880, with the suspects being two deserting soldiers from Wrexham Depot.^[9] In 1901, the house was occupied by Francis Hawkins for six years, afterwards it was occupied by military men connected to nearby Hightown Barracks. By 1939, it was owned by the Mackreth family, then as a base for American G.Is in c. 1943, and then converted into apartments afterwards.^[9]

No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 form a terrace of three mid-19th century Italianate villas, that at Grade II listed, on the corner of Salisbury Road and Madeira Hill in Wrexham, North Wales. No. 1 and No. 5 form the ends of the terrace, with No. 3 being the centre. Its exterior is stucco over brick and has a slate roof. The two-storey building is symmetrically planned, with the entrance to No. 1 and No. 5 are set back and both beneath a tower.^[11][12][13]

Its boundary walls and gate piers, which extend across the front of No. 1 to No. 5 along Salisbury Road, are also Grade II listed. They are of roughly coursed rubble, organised into large blocks, while the gate piers are made of ashlar. They are designed as an integral part of the terrace and date to the mid 19th century,^[14][15][16] likely constructed the 1850s.^[6]

There is a coach house to the rear of No. 3.^[17]

Poplar House is adjacent to Salisbury Road, close to the junction of Madeira Hill and Poplar Road, and within Salisbury Park. It is an early 19th-century detached house and a Grade II listed building. It is stated by local historian

In 1898, the Salisbury Park Congregational Chapel, and its attached school room, were built, to the designs of Ingall & Son of Birmingham. It was located near the junction of Madeira Hill, Poplar Road, Salisbury Road and Talbot Road. Its most prominent feature was its octagonal corner tower and spirelet, made of Ruabon red brick. The building was however demolished in 1981, and described as "one of the [area's] most regretted losses" by Wrexham council. The site now houses residences and the Salisbury Park United Reform Church.[2]

Chapel Street

Pen y Bryn Chapel on Chapel Street
Native name	Stryt y Capel (Welsh)
Part of	Salisbury Park Conservation Area, Offa
Location	Wrexham, Wales
Coordinates	53°02′35″N 2°59′42″W / 53.042926°N 2.995112°W / 53.042926; -2.995112

Chapel Street (

No. 1 is a small vernacular house dating to the late 18th century. It is located on the corner of Bridge Street and Chapel Street, and set back within its own gardens. The house's exterior is of brick with a slate roof, and it is two storeys.[20]^[21]

The Pen-y-Bryn Baptist Chapel, opened as the Chapel Street English Congregational Chapel,