45 High Street

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the corner of Hill Lane, next to the Shire Hall.

History

Mid C19 large commercial building, for most of C20 and late C19 the premises of Stephen Green, ironmonger, cutler and plumber, later S. & F. Green. Old photographs show a full width Victorian shopfront with fine iron railing above, in a pattern of scrolled circles. The present shopfronts are later C20 inserted for the Provincial Assurance Co. The two-storey warehouse ranges that flank the rear yard on Hill Lane are marked on the 1888 OS.

Exterior

Office building with shops, painted stucco with slate roof and no chimneys. Large four-storey, four-bayfront with altered ground floor shops. Upper floors have stucco quoins, hornless 12-pane sash windows to two main floors, and smaller 9-pane sashes to top floor, all in moulded architraves with sill brackets. The main floors also have cornices on consoles above, the cornices linked to the sills above by shallow raised stucco feature. Lion-mask keystones to upper windows. Modern shop fronts with beige marble facing to piers, inscribed Provincial House.
Rubble stone end wall to Hill Lane with brick in gable, from former chimney. Blocked attic window, two 9-pane sashes to second floor, two 12-pane to first floor and ground floor altered in C20 with stucco band over recessed entry up steps to first floor offices. Long shop window to right, three-light with transom each side of a similar two-light in former doorway. C20 door to far right. Broad brick relieving arch over shop window, above stucco band. Above are one 9-pane and one 12-pane sash, and two 9-pane sashes to top floor, the 12-pane with brick head, the others with concrete lintels. Added to right is a mid to later C19 L-plan warehouse range of two storeys. The single-bay end wall has roof hipped at angle, blocked upper window, first floor C20 window and ground floor oak lintel over blocked openings. The S front of this range faces a rear yard enclosed by this range and another on E. Imitation slates, first floor outside door with concrete lintel and three big hornless 12-pane sashes in red brick surrounds over door up modern steps and three similar windows, the right one blocked. The return wing facing w is similar, two-storey, four-bay with 12-pane sashes and doors in third bay, the upper one blocked. Narrower windows in second and fourth bays.

Interior

Interior altered. Some panelled mid to later C19 shutters to first floor front. Two iron columns in rear shop.

Reason for designation

Included as a substantial four storey building in late Georgian style, prominently placed by the Shire Hall.