View source for Halkyn Castle

{{Short description|Mansion house in Flintshire, Wales}}
{{Infobox Historic Site | name = Halkyn Castle| native_name = | image = Halkyn Castle, Flintshire (cropped).jpeg | image_size = | caption = Halkyn Castle in 1826 | locmapin = | map_width = | map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|53.2293|-3.1857|scale:2000|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Halkyn]], [[Flintshire]], [[Wales]]| area = | elevation = | formed = | founded = | built = 1824–1827; 1866| built_for = [[Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster]]; [[Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster]]| demolished = | rebuilt = | restored = | restored_by = | architect = [[John Buckler (artist)|John Buckler]];<br>[[John Douglas (English architect)#Douglas & Fordham (1884–98)|Douglas & Fordham]]| architecture = [[Tudor Revival architecture|Tudor Revival]] | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = | designation1 = Grade II*| designation1_offname = | designation1_type = | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = 26 November 1996 | delisted1_date = | designation1_parent = | designation1_number = 17792| designation1_free1name = | designation1_free1value = | designation1_free2name = | designation1_free2value = | designation1_free3name = | designation1_free3value = | designation2 = | designation2_offname = | designation2_type = | designation2_criteria = | designation2_date = | delisted2_date = | designation2_parent = | designation2_number = | designation2_free1name = | designation2_free1value = | designation2_free2name = | designation2_free2value = | designation2_free3name = | designation2_free3value = }}
'''Halkyn Castle''' ({{langx|cy|Castell Helygain}}) is a [[mansion]] house in the village of [[Halkyn]], [[Flintshire]], [[Wales]].  The house, with its associated stable block, is designated by [[Cadw]] as a Grade&nbsp;II* [[listed building]].<ref name=cadw>{{Citation | url = http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=17792| title = Halkyn Castle and attached Stable Block| access-date = 19 December 2016| publisher = [[Cadw]]}}</ref>

==History==

The house was designed by the architect [[John Buckler (artist)|John Buckler]] and built between 1824 and 1827 for [[Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster|Robert Grosvenor]], who was at the time the 2nd&nbsp;Earl Grosvenor, and later the 1st&nbsp;Marquess of Westminster. The building of the castle was supervised by [[Benjamin Gummow (architect)|Benjamin Gummow]], the Earl's architect and surveyor.<ref>{{citation|last=Colvin|first=Howard|author-link=Howard Colvin|title=A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600–1840|publisher=Yale University Press|edition=3rd|location=London|date=1995|page=436}}</ref>  It was used as a sporting lodge and, on occasions, for living accommodation.<ref name=cadw/>  In 1886 the [[Chester]] firm of architects, [[Douglas and Fordham]], added an extension in [[Elizabethan architecture|Elizabethan]] style for the [[1st Duke of Westminster]].<ref>{{citation | last =Hubbard | first =Edward | author-link = Edward Hubbard (architectural historian) | title =The Work of John Douglas | publisher =[[The Victorian Society]] | year =1991 | location =London | page = 151| isbn =0-901657-16-6 }}</ref>  The extension consisted of a wing containing a new [[drawing room]].  Internal alterations were made which included a staircase, and a [[Fireplace mantel|chimneypiece]] in the [[dining room]].<ref>{{citation| last =Hubbard | first =Edward | series = The Buildings of Wales|  title = Clwyd | publisher =Penguin | year = 1986| location =London | page = 359|  isbn =0-14-071052-3 }}</ref>

After the Grosvenor family disposed of the property, it was purchased by [[Charles Oxley]] with a view to establishing a fourth independent school but planning permission was not granted. He therefore used the castle for school trips and charitable purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-17 |title=Charles Oxley Biography - Founder Of Scarisbrick Hall And Tower College |url=https://www.inspirationalchristians.org/local-heroes/charles-oxley/ |access-date=2023-09-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Architecture==

The house is built in buff [[ashlar]] stone.  Most of the windows are [[mullion]]ed and [[Transom (architectural)|transomed]].  Its more striking architectural features include [[Battlement|castellated]] walls, towers, [[Turret (architecture)|turret]]s, and many chimney stacks.<ref name=cadw/>

==Grounds==
Of the original grounds of Halkyn Castle there is still a grand but mainly informal garden and a small park dating from when the house was constructed. Walks have been laid out through an informal ornamental woodland, a small formal terraced garden and a small ornamental walled garden.<ref name = P&G>{{cite web |url = https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/halkyn-castle | title = Halkyn Castle | access-date = 23 March 2020 | publisher = Parks and Gardens}}</ref>

==Listing==
Halkyn Castle is a grade II* listed building as it is an early example of a castellated mansion, which is still well preserved, and was built by an important practitioner of the style for an equally significant regional aristocratic family.<ref name = BLB>{{cite web | url = https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300017792-halkyn-castle-and-attached-stable-block-halkyn#.Xnj2pEB2voo | title = Halkyn Castle and attached Stable Block | access-date = 23 March 2020 | publisher = British Listed Buildings}}</ref>

The parks and gardens are listed as Grade II in the [[Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales]].<ref>{{NHAW|num=PGW(C)68(FLT)|desc=Halkyn Castle|access-date=17 February 2023|uid=61|class=HPG}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of houses and associated buildings by John Douglas]]
{{Commons category|Halkyn Castle}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Flintshire]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed houses]]
[[Category:Castles in Flintshire]]
[[Category:John Douglas buildings]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1827]]
[[Category:1827 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Registered historic parks and gardens in Flintshire]]