Connaught House and area railings

Cadw's description

Location

Facing the sea near the W end of the Esplanade, some 40m from the junction with Victoria Street.

History

Terraced house, c1875, the last of a terrace of 4. The South Cliff estate was laid out for building on a grid pattern in 1864 by J H Shipway, engineer, on former Tuder estate land, sold to Dr J M Sutton of Bloomfield, Narberth. Shipway's elevations were not used, the architect may have been F Wehnert, who did similar schemes for Milford Haven and Llandudno. The Esplanade was the principal seafront terrace, built up by 1880, but little seems to have been built before 1870. The 4 plots were marked on this site on the 1864 plan, another three houses later added to the W (now Belgrave Hotel) being on a different building plot and to a slightly different design. The 4 houses as built are to a different design than the first 5 on the Esplanade, but to the same design as the middle terrace of six. Deeds of 1872 show that Samuel Pitman of Bath bought these plots and that during 1873 they were sold on, to C S Allen of Tredegar House, Tenby, to W Walkington of Tenby, to Richard Griffiths, lodging house keeper, and plot 103, corresponding to this house to John Sheldon, builder. The plans were to be approved by the 'vendor's architect'. This terrace was Nos 7-10 The Esplanade, No 7 was complete in 1876.

Exterior

Terraced house, painted stucco with slate roof and brick end stacks. Basement, four storeys and attic, two-window range, with a full-height stucco canted bay to left, single windows over door to right.
Windows are mostly 4-pane sashes, but 2-pane narrower sashes to sides of canted bay. C20 dormers behind parapet with inset mouldings with rebated angles in sunk panels. Cambered headed windows in moulded surrounds to upper two floors, arched French windows opening onto a continuous iron balcony on the first floor, with moulded arched heads, plain fanlights and pilaster sides. Ground floor has channelled rustication and plain square heads to windows and door. Four-panelled door and overlight, up 3 wide steps. First floor balcony is on iron brackets and has attractive slightly Gothic iron railings, akin to earlier C19 designs. Basement sash windows.
Rear has stair-windows to left with coloured glass to marginal panes, and hornless 12-pane sashes centre and right, 4 storeys and parapet.
Fleur-de-lys heads to iron area railings.

Reason for designation

Included as a well-detailed Victorian terraced house, part of the group on the Esplanade.