11-13 High Street

Cadw's description

Location

In a row of frontages midway along the street.

History

11-13 High Street was once a single house, probably of c1700. (A sundial dated 1616 is said to have been reclaimed from a building on the site of 1 Market Street, which was demolished in 1820 when a market hall (later the Conservative Club) was constructed on the site.) The building was subdivided in the third quarter of the C19 when it was converted to commercial use and the front was remodelled. No 11 was the Packet House inn by 1890. By 1895 No 13 was occupied by the White Sewing Machine Co while its lower storey was a fishmongery. The properties were combined again in the late C20 when they were incorporated into the adjacent Conservative Club (1 Market Street). At this time the roof was rebuilt, the interior was gutted and new floors were inserted.

Exterior

A pair of 2-storey 3-window houses of pebble-dashed walls, steep slate roof, and roughcast stack to the L heightened in brick. No 13 is distinguished from No 11 by rusticated quoins. No 11 to the L has a central doorway has a replaced door and overlight. Openings have plain architraves and the upper-storey windows have a sill band. Windows are late C19 2-pane sashes, horned to the upper storey, inserted in earlier openings. A freestone sun dial with canopy is inserted R of centre beneath the eaves and is dated 1616 in raised numerals.

No 11 has a doorway lower L with a boarded door and overlight, while lower R is a passage doorway narrowed and with an inserted door. Windows are in C19 moulded architraves that formerly incorporated sash windows. The lower storey has a blind window to the centre. In the upper storey are windows L and R incorporating 2-light casements, while the central window is blind.

A gabled wing is at the rear.

Interior

Not inspected.

Reason for designation

Listed for its C19 commercial character distinguished by the use of stucco detailing, for its origin as one of the few surviving vernacular buildings from the period before the substantial redevelopment of Caernarfon beginning in the late C18, and for its contribution to the historic integrity of the walled town.