Bod Owen

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a prominent position at the junction of Ffordd-y-Sir and Heol Buddog with gardens in front and the similarly detailed Arvon alongside, the highly decorated slate roof of the building forms a distinctive local landmark.

History

Built as offices for the former Dorothea Slate Quarry in early C20, converted to domestic use later in century, the remarkable highly decorative slate roof was no doubt intended to display the quality and variety of slates the Company's quarry had on offer and to give an indication of the way in which they could be employed to best effect.

Exterior

Rendered walls, hipped slate roof, continued below the eaves and supported on timber brackets to centre; red ceramic ridge tiles, crested to the ends of the short ridge and hips; grey, green and purple slates forming diaper patterning to the middle of the roof with banded strips above and below, the whole having almost a Chinese appearance; rendered stacks in roof slope to left and right. Single storey. Front has slightly projecting central section defined by projection of roof below eaves. Central entrance; late C20 door flanked by late C20 bay windows retaining original early C20 slate lean-to canopies.

Interior

Interior not inspected at time of Survey.

Reason for designation

Forming a group with Arvon, which also retains its original form as Company office building, the buildings are an important relic of the slate industry in the town, notable for their virtuoso exploitation of the decorative properties of the material.