The Eagles Hotel, Denbigh

Description

The Eagles Hotel is a superior, mid-sixteenth-century, stone-built two-storey, three-bay hall with a three-bay cross-wing that has unusual clasped-purlin tie beam and collar roof trusses with raking struts under each purlin. It is likely to have had a first floor throughout, probably having a projecting lateral chimney to a first-floor hall. There is no obvious smoke blackening of timbers and there are no visible early ceiling-beams, except over the kitchen. The upper end of the hall part has been rebuilt in brick and is set gable end on to Back Row. Here, the roof-trusses form three bays at least, extending to the street front by an extra two bays, which were either replaced, or extended in brick.
In the seventeeth century a back-to-back fireplace was inserted into the cross-wing, forming a lobby entry and dividing the space into kitchen and parlour. The parlour fireplace has an overmantel with the date 1643 and the initials IPF, and a double-headed eagle in relief. A bedroom over is said to have a plasterwork date of 1627 and the initials EIR. The kitchen ceiling has a plaster inscription, E I R (in mirror image) in a circular outline. The kitchen fireplace has a large deep opening with a chamfered timber lintel and a bread oven.
The imported roof style and evidence of a former coved ceiling in its cross-wing indicates that this structure was probably once of high status. We do not know its original purpose but it may have been a gentry home of high status, or partly used as a meeting place, such as a Guild Hall.
Ref: IMG_6189