Dowlais Works Stables

Cadw's description

Location

On the NW side of Upper Union Street facing down the slope to the High Street and the former location of the Dowlais Iron Works.

History

Former stable range for the Dowlais works, built for Sir Josiah John Guest in 1820. The large first-floor rooms were used as a boys school until the Dowlais Schools were built in 1854-5. Soldiers were stationed here for several years after the Merthyr riots of 1831. The stables closed in the 1930s. The range was derelict by the 1970s and bought by the Merthyr Tydfil Heritage Trust in 1981. The interior and rear were wholly rebuilt as flats and the facade walls were also substantially rebuilt.

Exterior

Former stable range now flats, squared grey brown rubble stone with dressings in grey limestone and some renewed in tooled sandstone. Slate eaves roofs. Two-storeys with centre and end pavilions separating 9-bay ranges. The right range and upper part of left pavilion are entirely rebuilt. Originally the 2 ranges had limestone voussoirs to cambered headed lower windows and segmental headed upper windows, with small-paned glazing and stone sills. Left range had plinth with limestone coping, due to slope of site. The front wall of the right range is rebuilt with sandstone voussoirs to openings. All windows are later C20, small-paned casements with 4-pane top-light. Centre entrance has grey stone quoins, tall broad entry with depressed arch with grey stone voussoirs and keystone, and plain impost course, also in grey limestone. Below impost level on each side is narrow plate of cast-iron built-in with pierced hole for door pin. Upper storey has stone framed eroded rectangular plaque between flush bands of grey stone. Plaque had date 1820 in Roman numerals. Star-shaped cast-iron tie-rod end each side. Pediment with thin base course and bargeboards to gable, 2 further tie-rod ends and centre large cast-iron clock face. Renewed octagonal timber lantern on ridge with ogee lead dome and urn finial. End pavilions have coped pediments with big blind keyed roundels in grey stone. Main floors have triumphal-arch motif with quoined piers, thin impost band and grey stone arch with voussoirs. One window each floor within arch. Left pavilion is rebuilt with impost course and pediment as at other end, but dressings in tooled sandstone.
Windowless end walls.
Within arch are rebuilt stairs to upper floors. Rear is wholly rebuilt in yellow brick as flats with access balcony, except the 3 main features. Rear of 3 main features all rubble stone, plain. Centre has stone voussoirs to depressed arch, 2 louvred square lights above with renewed voussoirs and blocked brick roundel. Outer pavilions have a window each floor, renewed with C20 glazing.

Interior

Not inspected.

Reason for designation

Included as an historically important industrial relic of remarkable scale and architectural design.