An early 17th-century gentry house, formerly belonging to the estates of the Puleston family. The house is of two-storeys and an attic; originally gable-entry with a lateral-chimney. Rubble stone walls with a slate roof and stone stack. The W gable front has 4-light stone mullion windows with splayed mouldings and dripmoulds. A dressed-stone Tudor-arched doorway to the ground-floor right is now blocked. To the left of the lateral stack on the N side, a later single-storey gabled wing forms the modern entry to the house. The E gable has a 20th-century casement-pair with a blocked 1-light 17th-century opening to the right; below a 3-light mullion on first floor. The ground floor has a casement-pair to the right, and a double casement-pair with central mullion, both with big rectangular stone lintels. The interior is generally much modified. The ground-floor hall has chamfered beams with straight-cut stops and a deep fireplace recess.
Source: DE/DOM/SJ25SW, from the Cadw listed buildings database. J. Archer, RCAHMW, 2.11.2004
Additional Note. Hafod-Bilston is a mid-17th century, stone-built, 2? storey, gentry house with lateral fireplace to ground-floor and a first-floor great- chamber. The ground?floor was once divided into three units. This consisted of a central hall/kitchen with timber lintel to a lateral fireplace, between an entry-lobby room at the west gable-end (partition removed), and a service-room to the east end. The east end service-room was divided from the hall/kitchen by a framed wattle and daub partition (mortice pegs for studs remain in ceiling-beam). A rearranged 17th century stair with moulded balusters and hand-rail rises against this partition within the hall/kitchen.
The first-floor originally had a great-chamber (now sub-divided) extending from the west gable-end up to a small chamber at the rear east gable-end. The great chamber's fireplace (recently revealed) is of dressed stone with a `Tudor? headed lintel and `ovolo` mouldings. The smaller chamber has evidence for a former, secondary exterior end loading doorway (now a window) probably for later storage of farm produce.
The attic-floor is open to the roof, supported by a pair of collar trusses, two pairs of side-purlins and a ridge piece. It was probably used as accommodation for servants and storage.
A later, probably 18th century single-storey wing adjoins the rear service-room, at right angles. Inside its gable-end there are two internal arched openings (probably for coppers) and an oven with a corbelled flue.
The main range has dressed stone details throughout, including mullion windows some of three and four light, and the former gable-end entrance doorway (blocked) has a `Tudor? head and drip mould. Throughout there are fine oak ceiling-beams with medium chamfer `ogee? or straight-cut stops, and square joists. The early 17th century rearranged stair has turned balusters and moulded hand-rails, but appears to be reset.
There are diagonally set, assumed corner fireplaces to the entry-lobby and above in the sub divided great-chamber, probably relating to late-18th century alterations, indicated by lathe and plaster partitions here and elsewhere. The site of the end lobby-entry partition is indicated by a later ceiling-beam and short joists that do not align. It is possible that the original stair was in this area, but was resited in the late 18th century when there must have been a change of use.
Visited at the request of Phil Ebrill, Denbigh conservation officer, Geoff Ward, 06/09/2012.