Forest House (Barclays Bank)

Cadw's description

Location

Situated towards W end of square, adjoining Broadway House.

History

Town house, known as Forest House, late C18 or early C19, altered in early C20 for Barclays Bank. Probably the house sold in 1795 to Rees Williams, attorney, tenant with William Williams, saddler, who was owner by 1810. By 1834 owned by David Rice Rees (1787-1856) publisher and printer. The house became the Llandovery branch of the National Provincial Bank in 1835 for a few years, with David Rice Rees as manager, and again from 1866-75. In the 1840s tenanted by William Rees, nephew of D R Rees, who inherited in 1856, and the Rees family owned it to the early C20, with tenants in occupation.
The London & Provincial Bank opened their branch in Llandovery c1900 probably here, were absorbed by London & South Western Bank 1917, and then by Barclays Bank in 1918. Altered for bank c1921 by J H Morgan of Carmarthen. Pre 1921 photographs show a Roman Doric columned doorcase and sash window each side. After 1921 the bank front still retained the original side windows, altered later in C20.

Exterior

Town house in informal terrace, now bank. Three bays, 3 storeys. Slate gabled roof with stucco clad chimney stacks to left and right. Boxed eaves. Painted roughcast cladding to upper floors with long and short quoins to left and right. Twelve-pane horned sashes to upper floors, slightly smaller to 2nd floor. Ground floor is stuccoed of 1921 with channelled piers each side, fluted pilasters flanking door, deep frieze and cornice, and moulded plinth with thin band above, below sill level. Large later C20 windows with triple top-lights (replacing sashes of similar width to windows above) flanking arched doorway, with steps up to pair of 2-panelled doors with plain fanlight.
Left hand return stuccoed and windowless. Roughcast rear, earlier C20 window detail.

Interior

Ground floor bank wholly altered.

Reason for designation

Included as a substantial late Georgian style town house, of group value with other buildings in Market Square.