Palace Cinema and No. 2 Hill Street

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on corner of Upper Market Street with facades to both streets.

History

Former Corn Market of 1847-9, designed by William Owen. The new market was proposed in 1842, and architects were asked to send in plans for 10 guinea prize. Two or three were submitted but the contract was awarded to Owen, who had not entered. In 1861-2 the town council chamber was added in the first floor by W.H. Lindsey. Converted to the Palace Cinema for Sidney White c1912, when the exterior was stuccoed, possibly to designs of D.E. Thomas & Son. Early photographs show that the building was not stuccoed or rendered, but the quality of stonework on the unaltered part, No 2 Hill St, suggest that it may have been originally, or was intended for stucco.

Exterior

Former corn market, now cinema. Rubble stone with slate hipped roofs, overhanging, with flat eaves. Two storeys, two similar facades with early C20 stucco detail applied to centrepieces and to broad piers between bays. Seven bays to Hill Street and five to Upper Market Street with cinema entrance recessed at corner. Centrepieces on both facades are pedimented. First floor windows are original sashes with marginal glazing bars, in added plain stucco surrounds with keystones. Raised band all around between floors, stuccoed except on No 2 and plinth of squared grey limestone blocks. Ground floor has arched entries in each bay, with rough stone voussoirs where exposed.
Upper Market St front has stuccoed centrepiece and four rubble stone bays divided by broad stuccoed piers with dentil cornices, raised panel at first floor and pedimented panel at ground floor (the pediments triangular on intermediate piers, curved on outer ones. The band and stone plinth break forward over piers. Stuccoed centre piece has similar piers with arch-headed lower panels flanking a slightly projected centre with ground floor arch, with radiating rustication framed by pilasters with fluting and roundels under the caps, carrying a minimal open pediment. First floor has sash window and rusticated quoins. The cornice steps forward over centre but the pediment with mutules is over the whole centrepiece.
Narrow corner between the outermost stucco piers of each facade is rounded, exposed stone with stucco band.
Hill Street facade is similar but the final two bays (No 2) are not stuccoed. Piers are wider and stucco covers three centre bays not one. The two bays of No 2 have the windows in rough red brick surrounds, and the band between floors is poorly profiled, as if intended for stucco. Centre has fully stuccoed flanking bays with arch and first floor sash, the sash with hoodmould and keystone, and centre similar to that on Upper Market St, with set-back piers framing a pedimented centrepiece. Here the set-back piers are plain without the panels, there is no cornice and the pediment is plainer. Similar rustication to the arch but a curved pediment, and window above is flanked by blind keyed roundels. A few of the doorways preserve the radiating open timber fanlights of the original market entrances, doors are mostly altered but those on No 2 may be the original type.

Interior

Interior not inspected.

Reason for designation

Included at at higher grade as a substantial early Victorian market building which has retained its character with good added early C20 stuccoed detail.