History

Principally late C18 and early C19, incorporating some medieval material from an earlier structure. Built as a theatre in 1797. John Etherington Welch Rolls financed the conversion of the theatre into a Masonic Temple in 1837, the same year he inherited the Rolls estate. The architect G V Maddox undertook the work and returned to refront the Temple as now in 1846.

The Tyler’s Residence (or caretaker’s house) incorporated into the front of the Temple contains an earlier medieval stone wall up to first floor height, possibly associated with the town defences. John Rolls later became the Masonic Provincial Grand Master for Monmouthshire in 1863 and his son the 1st Baron Llangattock achieved the same position in Freemasonry in 1894. The interior was partly burned in April 2005, in an arson attack motivated by conspiracy theories, and subsequently restored.

Exterior

Roughcast and painted throughout with Welsh slate roofs. Understated Classical style facade of two storeys and five windows, with three storeys on the right hand side. The plan is H-shaped with the long sides parallel with the street and the bar stretching back between them. Centre three bays are set forward and pedimented as a miniature temple front. Arched centre ground floor door with part glazed doors on either side, the right hand one being the entry to the Tyler's Residence. Behind the façade the Tyler’s residence skews off at an acute angle from the core of the building. Steep slope on left side of building down to basement corridor entrance. Bands across at door head and first floor cill height; between and to either side are the square and compasses of the Masons.

The first floor has plain pilasters, with niches in place of windows in outer bays and a round headed 6 over 6 pane sash window in the centre. Letter G in pediment. The left hand recessed wing has a 6 over 6 pane sash on each floor, the right wing, with three storeys, has an additional 3 over 3 pane sash under the eaves. Plain ridge roof with stack on either gable.

Tall recessed panel in either gable. The centre wing has a single storey lean-to corridor on the south side which is otherwise featureless. The rear wing has a recessed panel in the south gable with another square and compasses. The west elevation overlooking the river has an additional understorey with two doors and two small windows. The first floor has a canted oriel flanked by blind recesses; the second floor has one modern plastic window unit and three blind recesses. Plain low pitch roof.

Interior

The front block has the main entrance and the Tyler's Residence, the centre is the Temple which is entered from the rear via a lean-to passage on the south side and the rear block has meeting rooms. As to whether any of the theatre survives is questionable. The entrance foyer has a two panelled wall facing the entrance which may have been doorways into the theatre, which presumably had the stage at the far end, but there is no evidence in the Temple for this. The Temple itself has an arched balcony on the north wall with a wrought iron railing incorporating the square and compasses; otherwise plain plasterwork and finish with Masonic furnishings. The meeting rooms are plain.

Tyler’s Residence entered through right hand door of front block is three storeys with the middle floor only extending across the whole front of the building with rooms over the foyer. A substantial red sandstone rubble wall across the centre and right-hand side of the residence contains two narrow splayed openings (concealing plaster stripped away at time of inspection). One opening is on the central staircase up to the first floor and would have faced west towards the river as built (the residence’s bathroom is now on the other side of this wall). Another is in a wall of a first-floor room and pointed north up Monk Street. Modern fireplaces and furnishings to residence.

Basement below Masonic Hall is accessed by sloping corridor from front car park down to rear of hall, with stone walling at lower levels and brick and later materials above. Substantial square cut timbers in basement supporting hall above. Disused understorey at rear contains brick oven.

Reasons for Listing

Included at higher grade for its special architectural and historic interest as a distinctive late Georgian example of a rare building type with integrated Tyler’s Residence, designed by a notable Monmouth architect, retaining a portion of a medieval stone building internally. Historical association with the Rolls family.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Masonic Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q1166376

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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