57 Vale Street

Cadw's description

Location

Set back and raised up behind a narrow forecourt with rusticated stone wall and surmounting railings; within a flush terrace.

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 at the time of survey.

Reason for designation

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