Caernarfon Royal Town Conservative Club

Cadw's description

Location

On the corner of High Street and Market Street.

History

The lower storey is a market hall erected c1820. It continued to serve as a meat market after the building was heightened in 1886 (date on building) with the building of the Conservative Club.

Exterior

A 3-storey club with simple classical detail, of 4 bays to High Street and 5 bays to Market Street, of roughcast in the upper storeys with slate roof and roughcast stacks. The former market hall in the lower storey is of coursed squared rubble and has segmental arched openings with voussoirs to Market Street, and similar arches repaired with scribed render to High Street, all originally open with iron gates (one of which is retained inside the building) but infilled with late C20 detail. A former impost band is mostly eroded, but is well preserved to the R-hand of the Market Street elevation and wrapped around the rear gable end. The High Street elevation has a first-floor sill band with 4 replaced windows. The taller upper storey is treated as an open pediment. Pilasters to the outer bays support an entablature that continues as an eaves cornice in the Market Street elevation. These pilasters are rusticated below a string course, and turn to Tuscan pilasters above it, where they frame horned sashes of 6 over 2 panes and with shallow sinuous aprons. The pediment has a roundel with 'AD 1886' in raised letters above an inscription in raised letters 'Working-men's Conservative Club'. Beneath the string course the central bays have small windows with pedimented architraves, the L-hand blocked the R-hand with vents.

In the Market Street elevation, the middle storey has 2 replaced windows on the L side, but otherwise horned sashes of 6 over 2 panes. Between middle and upper floors is a broad inscription band with 'Estd 1871 Conservative Club Rebuilt 1886' in raised letters. In the upper storey are horned sashes of 6 over 2 panes and a moulded eaves cornice. The rear gable end, abutting 3 Market Street, has an external stack, beyond which the middle storey is rubble stone while the upper storey is brick.

Interior

In the lower storey the former market retains cast iron posts. These are polygonal in the lower portion and round above, and incorporate slots for fixing the bars on which the meat was hung.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-detailed late C19 building on a prominent corner site, retaining evidence of its original use as a market, and for its contribution to the historic integrity of the walled town.