History

Heavily altered building with C18 origins, notable as printing house in C19. In the C18 and early C19 it was The King's Arms public house, where Lord Nelson reputedly stayed. From 1841 No 37 was the printing works of William Spurrell (1813-89) and his successors for a century, and probably the two houses were rebuilt for him. Spurrell was one of the best known printers of the Victorian era, a Welsh scholar and an authority on local history and antiquities. He published from here his notable Welsh dictionaries of 1848-50, and Welsh grammars and primers. He edited and published Yr Haul and Y Cyfaill Eglwysig, 2 church magazines. He was influential in technical improvements to printing and typography, and promoted workers' education in the town. His 'Carmarthen and its neighbourhood' 1860 remains a primary source for local history. After his death in 1889, the business passed to his son, Walter, who died in 1934, when the business was sold. In 1926 directory the Spurrell & Son premises were numbered 36-37 and Dr D. Adams-Lewis was at No 38, presumably a different building. The building has been much altered in later C20. Occupied by glass and china shop and hair stylists in 2002.

Exterior

Commercial premises, large 3-storey, 6-bay building with basement. Unpainted roughcast above, painted render on ground floor. Channelled angle pier on right corner, first floor sill band. C20 uPVC windows, no sills. Top floor has square windows, 3 left and 2 to right, first floor has 6 windows. Ground floor has 2 windows to left, door to centre (aligned with third windows of upper floors) and slightly recessed C20 plate glass shop front to right. There was a house doorway to No 37 paired with that to 38 with C19 doorcase, mentioned in 1953, removed before 1981, and 2 windows to right.
Rendered end walls, chimneys missing, external chimney breast to the right with a 4-pane attic window to left.

Interior

Interior altered, a C18 staircase mentioned in Provisional List of 1953 had gone by 1981. In No 38 2 doors at foot of staircase have chamfered and stopped surrounds, c1870, one half glazed, the stair is late C19 or earlier C20, closed string with ornate newels with big turned finials.

Reasons for Listing

Included despite alterations as large urban premises of historical interest for connection with William Spurrell.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29488241

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

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]