Listed Building: GATEHOUSE TO FORMER RIDLEY HALL (1138584)

SJ 55 SW RIDLEY C.P. WREXHAM ROAD 4/30 Gatehouse to former Ridley Hall. II* Gatehouse, circa 1530 (Leland's Report). Stone and brick with roof of large slates. Archway with floor above. Front and rear walls mainly coursed stonework, passageway walls between the arched openings mainly brickwork. The facade (south) has projecting plinth, ovolo moulded quoins to archway, plain imposts and ovolo moulded segmental arch with scotia hood mould. The stonework is separated from the brick section above by a slender ogee cornice. At the crown of the arch the cornice supports a carved stone achievement of arms consisting of the Egerton escutcheon flanked by term pilasters, with heads, and scrolls supporting horn players and animals. This is set in a brick wall with quoins which supports the roof. The rear (north) archway is similar to the facade but the imposts are moulded and there are no arms in the brick area above the stone cornice. Interior: The ceiling, between the two arches, has ovolo moulded beams front and rear, an ovolo moulded main beam, and large section stop chamfered joists supporting the oak boarded floor above. The pitched roof over the gatehouse has been retimbered but some chamfered purlins remain. Later farm buildings flank the archway east and west. This structure may be all that remains of the "fine Ridley Hall" mentioned in Leland's Itinerary of 1530, in which case it is among the earlier Classical Structures of the region. Listing NGR: SJ5470254759