1 Ogwen Terrace

Cadw's description

Location

The first house in a curved terrace of 22 houses on A 5, in centre of Bethesda.

History

Terrace house of c1830, a pair with No 2 and highly unusual in having the front wall of coursed cut slate blocks. Nos 3-22 Ogwen Terrace are rendered, so it is not possible to determine whether Nos 1 and 2 are the only attempt to use Penrhyn quarry cut slate blocks as a facing stone. The curved terrace appears to have been built in connection with Telford's road to Holyhead, to an urban scale remarkable in what was primarily a slate-quarrying settlement.

Exterior

Coursed squared slate in long blocks with sandstone dressings, slate roof and roughcast end stacks, the left stack shared with No 2, adjoining. Three-storey, two-window range, C20 hardwood 4-pane windows to upper floors with sandstone slab lintels, and slate sills to second floor, slate sillband continuous across No 2 to first floor. Ground floor C20 shopfront imitating C19 style with 3-light shop-window each side of centre door. Two ornate lion-mask brackets are similar to one shown in an old photograph of no 2 adjoining, possibly reused.

Reason for designation

One of a pair of unusual slate slab faced houses in a fine late Georgian curved terrace of unusual scale. Group value with No 2.