History

Built as the General Offices of the Port Talbot Steel Company in the early C20. The company was incorporated in 1906 and took over and remodelled the existing works of Messrs Gilbertson of Pontardawe, who had begun in 1901 under the influence of the Port Talbot Railway & Docks Company. The offices are shown on the Ordnance Survey of 1917 surrounded by steelworks buildings and in a publication of c1920. It is little altered from that time except that the S wing was single-storey with parapets, and there was a cupola above the entrance along with some chimney stacks. The boardroom is said to have been downstairs to the L of the entrance. The building was converted to a Magistrates Court in 1988 and opened by Lord MacKay of Glasfern.

Exterior

Neo-Georgian style. Main range with end wings which are advanced to the front. Constructed of red brick in stretcher bond, suggesting double skin construction. Pale stone dressings including plinth and rusticated quoin strips to wings. Hipped tiled roofs with swept eaves, with individual roofs to the main range and each wing. The front of the main range is 7-window while the wings are 3-window. Horned multi-pane sash windows throughout with stone sills and flat gauged brick heads with keystones. Central bay with doorway and stairlight above, flanked by narrow 4-over-4-pane sash windows, under a raised segmental pediment. Doorcase with tapering pilasters, moulded capitals and wide flat cornice, containing double panelled doors with overlight. This supports a pronounced stone tablet which rises to the sill of the stairlight above and reads 'Port Talbot / Magistrates Court.' The round-headed stairlight has a moulded stone surround with ears and large inverted volutes against the jambs. A large fluted and scrolled keystone supports a keyed occulus in the pediment which has moulded stone drops to the sides. The windows flanking the central bay are 8-over-8-pane sashes, except for the outer ground floor windows which are paired 4-pane sashes. The front elevations of the wings are symmetrical with 8-over-8-pane sashes flanked by 6-over-6-pane sashes, all the windows openings with aprons. Added range to L, with large catslide section and no openings.

The N side of the N wing is also 3-window with 8-over-8-pane sashes, but those to the lower storey are not aligned with those above. The L and central lower windows have aprons beneath. The rear is rendered and altered. Flat roofed projection behind main range with lean-to to R. Mainly UPVC windows, irregularly spaced. The added bay to the S end is similar, with flat-roofed projection to rear, probably a staircase bay, and irregular windows.

Interior

The interior was altered when the building was converted to a magistrates court, with the addition of partition walls and lowered ceilings. Inside the front entrance is a small stairhall with open-well staircase to the R against the front wall. The timber balustrading consists of a turned baluster between 2 plain uprights to each tread, and a moulded handrail.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as an early C20 building retaining its external character, for its historic interest as the head offices of a nationally important company, and as the only surviving building of the Port Talbot Steel Company.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29500301

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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