House and Sea Chest

Cadw's description

Location

On the corner of Berry Street and Lower High Street.

History

The present house is C19 and was formerly 2 dwellings and a shop. It also has a separate cottage incorporated into it that was once a separate dwelling. Evidence of an earlier house are the lateral stacks, especially the more historically convincing one to the rear, which suggests a C16 or C17 origin and survival of at least some older fabric.

Exterior

A late Georgian style 2-storey shop and house of pebble-dashed walls painted cream, with smooth-rendered plinth and eared architraves, renewed slate roof on boarded eaves, a stone stack on the eaves between 1st and 2nd bays in Berry Street, and larger lateral stack behind. The entrance to the house is on Berry Street, and to the shop on the lower end of High Street. The Berry Street front is 5 bays grouped 2+3, indicating that it was previously 2 properties. The entrance is in the 1st bay, a modern replacement fielded-panel door, to the R of which is a tripartite 12-pane hornless sash window under a cornice projecting on consoles. The 3rd bay has a 9-pane hornless sash window under a segmental head and gabled canopy on iron brackets (shown as a doorway on a photograph c1950). The 5th bay has a C20 small-pane shop window in an earlier opening under a simple repainted fascia, and deep cornice on consoles. Windows in the upper storey are renewed 12-pane hornless sashes. A modern hanging shop sign is at the R end, above which is a cast-iron street sign just beneath the eaves.
In the 1-bay High Street elevation is the altered shop entrance. The replacement half-glazed panel door is to the L under a narrow top-hung casement. To its R is a mid C20 small-pane shop window in an earlier opening. The whole shop front is framed by outer blank panels in smooth render, and a modern fascia. In the upper storey is a blind window. A cast-iron street sign is on the L side at eaves level.
The rear is of rubble stone and has replacement windows. It has a lateral stack on the R side and to its L is a lean-to against the adjoining house in High Street.
At the L end of Berry street elevation is a lower projection, originally a separate cottage, and in its front slope built in a range with No 4, with which it shares a roughcast stack. It has a pebble-dashed front and smooth rendered plinth and architraves, like the main house. The original doorway is no longer visible. In the lower storey is a 12-pane hornless sash window (probably a C19 insertion) and above it is a 9-pane sash window.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a house retaining C19 character but with earlier origin, making an important contribution to the historical townscape in a prominent position opposite the junction of the town's main streets.