1. No. 19 is a mid-18th century town house with third quarter 19th century alterations to the ground and first floors, in the form of canted bays. Listed Grade II* for its special architectural interest as a mid-18th century town house retaining good original external character and for its historical interest as the home (from c.1835) of Thomas Gee (1815- 98), the famous 19th century printer, publisher and nonconformist minister. No.19 also benefits from having group value with other listed items in Vale Street; being one of a number of fine townhouses in this street, historically regarded as the gentry and professional quarter of the town.

A three ? storey house of brick construction in a Flemish Bond with Sandstone quoins and dressings now painted (2012), with a hipped slate roof and moulded eaves. The symmetrical three bay facade had a shop front inserted in the early 20th century in place of the left hand, ground floor bay window with the shop front returning along the Chapel Street elevation with the entrance located across the corner of the building. However, during 2010 as part of Denbigh's Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) the building underwent work where the shop front was removed and a bay window to match the existing ground floor window was installed in an attempt to recreate the original symmetry of the facade. The house has a central entrance with moulded stone architrave and a pediment supported on elongated consoles; original 6 ? panel door, the upper 4 panels now glazed, with the top two featuring the house number (19), a digit in each pane. On the wall, to the right of the entrance is a modern plaque recording Thomas Gee's occupancy. The right hand bay has a large canted wooden bay window with large windows and a flat lead roof (now mirrored on the left bay). The first floor has smaller canted bay windows to the outer bays with hipped slate roofs and a 12 ? pane unhorned sash to the central bay with flat ? arched lintel and projecting stone sill; similar, squatter windows are used on the second floor, under the eaves.

To the right of the entrance is a raised terrace of limestone ashlar which projects slightly forward. This is surmounted by decorative cast iron railings of the second quarter 19th century. Originally extending the full width of the building, but removed from the left hand bay when the shop was created. The wall has since been reinstated and features traditionally made cast iron railings to match the original, again, due to the THI scheme.

Also in line with the THI scheme the building benefitted from a level of repair and conservation where items such as the windows, roofs and rainwater goods were all repaired and re-finished, upgraded or replaced etc.

D. Jones RCAHMW 23/04/2012

References:

Cadw Listed Buildings Database (No.1022)

Hubbard E, Clwyd, Buildings of Wales Series, 1986, p.151

Justification statement for LBC application. NJR 03/09/2008

2. 19 Vale Street, was formerly the house of Thomas Gee, the Welsh Nonconformist preacher, printer and publisher. It is a three-storey town house of brick construction with sandstone quoins and dressings which are now painted white. It has a hipped slate roof with lead flashings and a moulded eaves course. The frontage elevation was originally of a symmetrical appearance with a central door flanked by bay windows at ground level, with bays over at first floor together with a central window and three windows at second floor. The symmetry was disturbed about a hundred years ago by the removal of the uphill bay and it's replacement with a flat shopfront returning along the Chapel Street elevation. The shop entrance door was located across the corner. At the same time presumably, the centrally located pedestrian steps were removed with the conseguent reconfiguration of the pavement boundary wall and cast iron railings.

Source:- Cadw Listed Buildings and Justification statement for LBC application. NJR 03/09/2008