Feathers Hotel, Wrexham

The two-storey building was formerly a coaching inn, with remnants of the stables and coach house present behind the building,[2][3] in painted brickwork and with a slate roof.[1] Such remnants include a small round window in the side wall at the rear of the building used to transfer hay from a large hay wagon directly to the hay loft within the building. It was originally known as "The Plume of Feathers" and was owned by the Meredith family for over 200 years,[4] with the building dating to possibly c. 1630.[3][5][6] The inn was located on a popular throughfare for drovers to Wrexham's Beast Market.[4][7] It was known as the Feathers Inn by 1848,[2] while the name "The Prince of Wales" is also attached to the building.[5][7]

The current design of the building dates to a c. 1850 – c. 1860[3][1][8] remodelling, where the newly added façade was extended onto a pre-existing adjoining property, No. 62 Chester Street.[3][1][8] Although No. 62 is separately roofed, with its gable appearing to be originally built facing the street and a parapet forms a partial false wall at its first floor level.[1][8] No. 62 also houses the entrance to the present-day grocery shop, while the original building also retains their entrance. Both central entrances are recessed in an architrave with entablature hood-carrying ornate brackets, with twelve-pane sash windows flanking either side. There are three upperwindows in each of the two properties, which also have twelve-pane sashes with a continuous sill band, with the windows on both floors also being set in moulded plaster architraves. Therefore, the building's current continuous frontage covers two original properties, which are two-storeyed with a 8 windowed range, and covered original brickwork. The slate roof is concealed by a moulded cornice high parapet, and axial and end wall stacks. The shop front dates to the late 19th century, and has ornamental cast iron scrollwork to a recessed entrance, and heavy brackets to fascia.[2][1][8]

The structure and some elements[3] of the original building have survived and they suggest the building was once timber-framed.[2][1][8] The gable end of the building would have probably faced the street, with its roofline at a right angle to the street.[2][1]

During the Victorian era, the building's stable yard was large enough to cater for 30 horses at the same time.[2]

In 1875, following the death of James Armstrong of the Feathers Hotel, leaving his widow and seven small children with little resources, a benefit concert was held in Wrexham to raise money for the bereaved family.[2]

By 1892, the building was owned by William Tickle, who greatly involved himself in the social life of Wrexham, leading to local societies holding their meeting inside the building.[9]

The pub in the building closed in 2001,[6] with the building later becoming fully refurbished and home to a clothes shop for a few years.[3] The building is now (as of 2023) a Polish grocery store,[2] with the upper floors converted into apartments.[4][6]

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