History

Part of an early-mid C19 terrace of three houses on the site of, and probably including part of the structure from the first county gaol, built c1735. It is thought that the premises were originally larger and that there was a gaoler's house opposite, now gone. When the gaol was surveyed in 1774 by Thomas Pritchard it was found to be inadequate. There were then two dungeons, 8’ x 7’ with water running through.

The gaol described in a report of 1803 is hard to equate with the present single three-storey range. It had a yard 44' x 32' for debtors, a day room 14' x 14' and a small bath room. Above were eight good sized rooms. There was a male felons yard with day room with eight cells each about 8' 6" x 7' and 9' 6" high. The women prisoners had a small yard, a day room with one sleeping cell on the ground floor and two bedrooms above. There was a large room over the gaol entrance used as a chapel and a small sick-room. It would thus appear to have been two-storeyed.

A House of Correction was built on the Pool Road in the early C19, and the gaoler was paid a salary for both establishments from 1816. The County Gaol was replaced in 1830-2 by the new gaol on Gaol Road. The present houses appear to have been remodelled c. 1830-40, and are marked as three houses on the 1839 Tithe map, owned by the Powis Estate with No 1 occupied by Martha Jones. Although the houses retain evidence of phasing and development in the brickwork and masonry, the character of the terrace is substantially early C19.

Exterior

Three storey terrace, red brick, Flemish bond, with deep-eaved slate roof hipped to left, ridge stack between Nos 1 and 2, lead ridges. The terrace comprises No 1, a house of two bays with door in third bay to left, No 2 a narrower house of two-plus-one bays and No 3 a house at right angles across the N end. There is a partial straight joint between Nos 1 and 2, stonework in the S gable of No 1 and some different brickwork in the S end gable of No 3 suggesting extensive modification.

No 1 has two casement-pair windows with small panes and hood-moulds to each upper floor, set to centre and right. Ground floor has a longer casement pair (replaced window) with hood-mould to centre right, a low blocked cambered-headed window to far right and entrance in the left bay. Doorway is in flat roofed porch on two plain wooden posts. Door-frame is moulded with angle blocks, ledged door with thin cover strips and glass panel. The ground floor openings are not aligned with those above, and there are cambered heads to the first floor windows concealed by the hoodmould, and one visible over the ground floor window. Rear has C20 gabled brick addition to left, rubble stone

original wall to right with narrow windows to top and first floors, roof hipped at SW angle. Windowless rubble stone S end wall.

Interior

Interior not inspected.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as part of a prominent early-mid C19 terraced row, located high above the town and for retaining good original detail. Also of special historic interest for being built on the site of the C18 gaol, possibly retaining fabric from this earlier building.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29486848

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)