The Anglesey Hotel Including Courtyard Wall to Rear

Cadw's description

Location

Abutting the outer (W) side of the Town Wall on the N side of the gateway to Castle Ditch.

History

Originally the Customs House and said to have been built in 1736. A building is shown here in an engraving of the castle dated 1749. In 1834 its main entrance was to the R-hand bay in the middle storey, reached from external steps against the front elevation and against the Town Walls. It had ceased to be the Customs House by 1852 and became a hotel, presumably to capitalise on the expandin tourism industry. The late C19 character of the present building suggests that the original building was subsequently remodelled and enlarged by the addition of a rear wing and iron balcony. The building is shown in its present form as The Anglesey Arms on the 1888 Ordnance Survey.

Exterior

A 3-storey 4-bay public house of scribed roughcast painted white, slate roof with rendered stacks to the ends and behind to the L. Windows have keyed moulded architraves, under segmental heads in the middle storey, and there is a plat band between middle and upper storeys. The window L of centre in the lower storey is smaller. The windows are replaced in original openings, except for a blind window L of centre in the middle storey. A first-floor entrance is within an added 2-storey hipped-roof lean-to in the R-hand bay. The R gable end abuts the Town Walls. The 2-bay L gable end has segmental-headed keyed architraves, all with replaced windows. The doorway lower L has replaced double doors under an overlight. A C19 first-floor cast iron balcony is supported on 2 posts flanking the doorway, and by curved brackets with openwork decoration. The balcony front has round decorative panels.

A lower 3-bay 2-storey rear wing is set slightly back from the L gable end. It has rendered walls and roof concealed behind a parapet. Replaced windows are in original segmental-headed architraves with keystones, which are taller in the upper storey and of flatter pitch lower centre. The rear wing retains C19 cast iron rainwater goods. Behind the rear wing is a wall shown on the 1888 Ordnance Survey, facing the Promenade and abutting the S tower of the Town Wall, enclosing a rear courtyard. It is rubble-stone partly heightened, and with inserted double double boarded doors. To the L of the doorway is a projecting thin band.

Interior

Modernised interior.

Reason for designation

Listed as a hotel with mid C19 character the continues the strong Georgian tradition in Caernarfon, with important earlier origins as a customs house, and for its contribution to the historic integrity of the walled town.