The Bell Inn PH

Cadw's description

Location

Opposite the junction with Isca Road at the south end of The Village.

History

This is a C17 house of uncertain form which was probably heightened and reconstructed in the C18 and remodelled in the C20 when the main stack and the east gable were also rebuilt and it was given extensions at the rear. The Bell was an important coaching inn at the junction of the roads to Usk, Newport and Chepstow.

Exterior

The building is constructed of random red sandstone and conglomerate rubble with some freestone blocks, the roofs are Welsh slate. It is a long single depth range parallel with the street, with the ground falling from left to right, two storeys and attics. It is in two blocks which may be of different builds, with the left hand one having floor levels above the right hand one. This block has two windows to each floor with a door under a tented hood to the right abutting the other block. All the windows are C20 timber casements, 4 + 4 panes in the ground floor, 3 x 2 panes above. The doorway is in the lobby entry position against the ridge stack but the stack may serve only the upper rooms and with the door entering a cross passage. The upper floor is full height and is probably a C18 heightening and the steeply pitched roof with the end stacks would appear to be a C18 one. The stacks are rendered, the one at the join of the two blocks has weathering. The ground floor of the left hand one is hidden by later lean-tos. There is a 2 x 2 pane casement to the first floor and the upper gable can be seen to have been rebuilt. The rear elevation is masked by a later kitchen lean-to. The right hand section also has two windows to the right of the massive lateral stack. The ground floor has a 4 + 4 casment as before to the left and a 3-light one to the right, each light with three panes. Above are a 4 x 2 casement to the left and a 4 + 4 pane casement to the right. The stack appears to have been rebuilt above the eaves in the C20, possibly in two sections. Steeply pitched roof; small, probably rebuilt, stack to right hand gable. The gable wall is plain. The rear elevation is altered by modern extensions.

Interior

Not inspected at time of resurvey.

Reason for designation

Included as a C17 house of special character which later became an important coaching inn.