History

Pair of late C18 town houses, originally a reflected pair. No.57 is unaltered, whilst no.59 acquired a large storeyed bay as a late C19 or early C20 alteration. The pair are raised up above a basement of limestone rubble. This represents the surviving part of an earlier house on the site, probably of C16 date. A wide segmentally-arched entrance in the centre of the basement storey is of this primary period.

Exterior

Belongs to a group of 2.

Nos 57 and 59 Vale Street.

Elegant pair of 3-storey, 2-bay Georgian houses. Of brown brick construction (Flemish bond) on a high limestone rubble plinth, with continuous slate roof hipped to the end wall of no.59; sandstone quoins also to the latter. Large, shared central chimney. The entrance to each house is on the raised ground floor and is approached by a long flight of stone steps, straight-on to no.57 and from the side to no.59 (the latter a C19 alteration). Tall classical wooden doorcases with colonnettes supporting a cornice with surmounting open pediment. No.57 retains its original 6-panel door, whilst no.59 has a Victorian replacement with arched glazed lights to the top; both decorative fanlights survive. No.57 has broad 16-pane unhorned, near-flush sashes to the right-hand bay on all floors, that to the second floor squatter than the others; above the entrance are 12-pane sashes, again squatter to the top floor. All have segmentally-arched heads. No.59 retains its windows, in similar, though reversed arrangement above the entrance. The left-hand bay, however, has a large 2-storey rectangular bay with tripartite windows having sandstone surrounds and slab mullions; broader central sections with 2-pane upper and single-pane lower sections, the remainder plain. Surmounting the flat roof to this is an iron balustrade. The corresponding second-floor window has a 12-pane casement window. Between the 2 houses is a wide basement entrance with sandstone segmental arch and associated label; boarded doors.

Interior

Interior not inspected during survey.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as one of a pair of late C18 town houses retaining good original external character.

Group value with other listed items in Vale Street; one of a number of fine town houses in this street, historically regarded as the gentry and professional quarter of the town.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29500748

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)