Ranges to rear of the Porth Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on street line N of lane to parish church.

History

Circa 1860 and later C19

Exterior

Hotel, stucco with slate roofs. Two-storey front has 3 distinct buildings, 2 in matching stucco and roughcast, the third (the former assembly room and coach-house) roughcast. The first 2 ranges are both 4-window with rusticated, unpainted stucco ground floors and similar rusticated surrounds to upper windows, set against painted roughcast. Range to right has 12-pane sashes and door in second bay. Timber corniced doorcase with part-fluted pilasters. Overlight with 'Porth' in gilded letters. Centre range is slightly taller with roughcast end stacks, 4-pane sashes and door in right bay. Broad doorcase with console brackets, 4-panel door, sidelights and overlights. 'CTC' disk affixed to upper wall. This is probably earliest part.

The 7-window service range is painted roughcast, 12-pane sashes to assembly room and one above loading door in fifth bay. Ground floor has 4 altered former coach entries, now glazed, plus door and window. Beyond a lower 2-storey 2-window range with roof hipped at angle. Rear of service wing is 3-storey 6-window rubble stone range with part blocked big carriage arch and ground floor altered. From angle runs back tall 3-storey 5-window rubble stone range, possible former warehouse or mill, with stone window heads, C20 12-pane windows to upper floors. Ground floor door and various blocked openings.

Rear of centre block is 3-storey with big gable to left, while S end block has 3-window 3-storey rear wing facing the old Vicarage.

The centre block may be the 'new hotel' on the site of the Porth Inn with a very imposing facade reported by Carmarthen Journal 1863 with the rest added later. The scale of the range behind the service wing suggests a former woollen mill.

Reason for designation

Group value with The Old Vicarage and Church of Saint Tysul.