Nelson Museum, Local History Centre, and Monmouthshire County Council Area Office

Cadw's description

Location

Part of the group on the principal street leading north and east from the town square.

History

1837-9. G V Maddox was architect, and the building was completed in 1839. It was built as Monmouth covered Market as a part of the Monmouth street improvements after the laying out of Priory Street in 1837. Seriously damaged by fire in 1963 when the upper storey was lost, and reconstructed 1968-69 by Donald Insall and Associates as a post office, local government offices, coffee bar and restaurant and new town and Nelson museums; the post office and coffee bar are now gone but the other uses continue.

Exterior

The street façade is constructed of Bath stone ashlar, the rest in modern materials, Welsh slate roofs where visible. Austere Greek Revival style on the street front with the rear 1960s modern.
Building well sited on a concave curve. Formerly partly of two storeys with a ground floor Doric arcade, and central pedimented block with cupola, but post-fire the building is now one storey only, retaining all of the original arcade of eleven bays, of which centre and ends are wider and project slightly as the entrances; arranged E : W : W : W : W : E : W : W : W : W : E. Round headed recessed windows divided by pilasters, while the entrances have Doric columns in-antis, arched doorways within, all with modern glazed screens. Continuous entablature and parapet, shallow hipped roofs to the entrance bays.
The back of the building was entirely reconstructed, with a range of steel framed oriels overlooking the river.

Interior

Interior of the building entirely reconstructed in 1968-9 with a wholly modern finish.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as part of an important piece of early C19 town planning in the Monmouth centre.