Danbert House (former Employment Exchange)

Cadw's description

Location

On NE corner of Morfydd Street and Market Street.

History

House of 1880s; built for, and probably designed by Daniel Edwards (1835-1915), tinplate manufacturer of Morriston; 'Danbert' was a brand name for a type of tinplate made at Edwards' Dyffryn Works. House construction not completed due to bankruptcy of builder, and Edwards never lived there.

Exterior

Three storeys plus attics, painted smooth render with painted quoins and banded ground floor, moulded architraves; some exposed bathstone dressings and dormers; slate roof with bracketed eaves cornice, brick chimneys.
Morfydd Street front of three bays has two attic gables, each with round-headed window, between which is bathstone dormer with paired windows beneath pediment surmounted by urn. Central bay has paired round-headed window to each floor. Outer bays have triple round-headed window to second floor, below which is, to each bay, two-storey splayed bay with small-pane horned sash glazing.

To L, two gables each with round-headed window; round-headed windows to second floor; shouldered-arched windows to first floor including stair windows
flat-roofed ground floor extension.

To R (E), elevation similar to W but has single-storey porch with steps up to exposed bathstone entrance flanked by columns; shouldered-arched windows to side and rear. Rear (N) elevation in similar style to S, but pair of gables is set to L, and bathstone dormer to R.

House set behind low brick wall; yellow brick to W with sea-worn limestone capping; common brick to S with stone copings.

Reason for designation

Included as well-preserved example of large Victorian town house, rare in Morriston.