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-storey.

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 remodeled c. 1830-40, and are marked as three houses on 1839 Tithe map, owned by the Powis Estate with No 2 occupied by Mary Richards. Although the building retains 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, garden-wall bond (different from Flemish bond of No 1), with deep-eaved slate roofs, ridge stack between No 1 and 2, hipped at S to No 1 and gabled at No 3, 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 2 has two casement-pair windows with iron small panes and hoodmoulds to each upper floor and a long iron casement pair with top lights and hoodmould to ground floor left (transom replaced) and entrance to right, set slightly in from windows above. 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 two glass panels. There are cambered heads to the first floor windows concealed by the hoodmoulds. Narrow bay to right (partly borrowed from No 3 – see below) in angle of the projection of No 3, with single shorter casement to first floor and modern casement to ground floor. Rear is windowless over later 1 ½ storey lean-to infilling between the rear projections of No 1 and No 3. Rear wall part timber cladding and part brickwork with leaded casement windows, slate roof with single rooflight. Further corrugated sheet lean to infilling the gap to the rising bank at the rear.

Interior

Single room, side stair plan with straight flight timber stairs with squared balusters, newel and handrails and plain stringer. Planked and beaded ledged doors with beaded frames and long strap hinges on pintles. Timber floorboards and deep beaded skirting largely survive throughout.

Front door opens onto living room, open fireplace, recess to left with low door frame (door removed), twin squared beams with floor framing. Timber floor and skirting (modern). Door to stairs adjacent to front door, further door to understairs cupboard. Wide rear door to rear kitchen in lean-to (door formerly to exterior). Kitchen with arched recess to back left (behind fireplace). Base of rear wall with slight batter.

Stairs with angled boarding to first floor, rear landing with 3 doors: door to left to bedroom (doorframe replaced) with blocked fireplace with hearth stone, large squared central beam; rear door (inserted) to bathroom extension in lean-to comprising ante-room and bathroom, arched former opening visible in right wall (to No 3); Third door created through party wall with No 3 with blocked door visible in adjoining wall. Further flight of stairs to second floor with vaulted ceiling, coved plaster cornice to springing.

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 Q29507807

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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