History

First Edition Ordnance Survey surveyed 1874 shows this site as a Workmen''s Hall, presumably the predecessor of the grand Nixon's Workmen's Institute of 1899 built on the other side of the river. This office building was completed in 1904 at a cost of £5000 as the Mountain Ash Urban District Council premises. Architect JH Phillips of Cardiff who won the design competition. Aberdare Canal formerly sited to rear but already out of use by the time offices were built; canal replaced by New Road in 1930s.

Exterior

Purpose-built Council offices in an Arts and Crafts baroque. Of brown snecked rock-faced stone and contrasting pale ashlar decoratively treated; hipped slate roof with brick chimney set within the pitch and on the ridge a boarded clock tower, with clock-face front and rear and railed balustrade, surmounted by a decorative open tiered bell-cote/cupola with round-arches and swept metal roof; on top is a weathervane. Two storeys. An asymmetrical frontage. Cross-framed windows with top opening casements, some small-paned, all in wide ashlar surrounds. At centre is 5-window range, the bays separated by full-length pilasters; first floor windows are segmental arched with keystones and cornice and small-pane top-lights; above the outer and centre windows are 3 segmental-arched full dormers with decorative leaded coloured glass now double-glazed; square-headed windows to ground floor. Central porch with segmental-arched pediment incorporating a cartouche with inscription, fronting a small balcony, supported by scrolled and fluted console brackets; 6-panelled outer double doors with small-pane overlight. To left is a slightly projecting bay, a 3-window range, all square-headed, with a segmental-arched parapet with cartouche-panel above centre first-floor window, the arch repeated in the cornice-band to ground floor windows, into which die the wide end pilasters. To right a narrow projecting bay with keyed oculus to ground floor and a set-back end wing with separate roof-pitch and narrow side doorway with plain surround, scroll pediment and giant keystone in return. Some corners are chamfered with mouldings over. Sides have simpler ashlar dressings, almost none to rear where a wall with tall metal railings forms a tiny courtyard.

Interior

Lobby with steps up to double swing doors with Art Nouveau-style leaded coloured glass and decorative green and brown ceramic-tiled dado. Similar dado to inner hall, staircase with turned mahogany newel post and twisted metal balusters. Door surrounds and simple cornices retained; some upstairs fireplaces reported to survive behind blockings.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a purpose-built public building of interesting design in a specially prominent position. Group value with the hotel adjacent.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Mountain Ash Town Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q29504196

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)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)