Museum of Childhood

Cadw's description

Location

At the E end of Castle Street, SW of Beaumaris Castle.

History

Probably built in the late C18 and shown as a house on the 1829 town plan. A rear wing has subsequently become a separate dwelling known as Tyn y Gongl Cottage. The house was converted to a museum in the 1970s, when new shutters were installed, leaving the pintles of the previous shutters.

Exterior

A 2-storey 4-bay former house of scribed roughcast painted cream, slate roof, and stacks to the L gable end to the rear range. The entrance is in the 2nd bay and has a shallow open porch with cast-iron columns and pediment, to a fielded-panel door in a painted freestone surround. Windows are 4-pane horned sashes with modern shutters. A cast-iron street sign is on the L side in the upper storey. In the L gable end, facing Mona Place, is a replacement glazed door to the R, and a bay window of 5x2 panes to a former shop on the L side. A short rear wing has a 4-pane sash window in the upper storey. Set forward further L, within the same range as the adjoining Tyn-y-Gongl Cottage, is a boarded door to a through passage, and a 9-pane upper-storey window.

The rear faces a narrow courtyard. It has a central 12-pane sash window lighting the stairs. To its L is a 2-storey projection with, facing the courtyard, replacement window in the lower storey and 16-pane sash window in the upper storey. To the R of the stair window is a narrow gabled projection with wooden shutter in the attic and horizontal-sliding sash window in the lower storey. To its R is the rear wing and through passage facing Mona Place, which has a 12-pane hornless sash window in the upper storey.

Interior

Converted to museum use but retaining its general room plan with entrance hall and main rooms to the R and L, and panel doors. Behind the entrance hall is a straight stair with winders at the top and bottom, with turned newel and plain balusters.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a Georgian house retaining definite C19 character, and for its contribution to the setting of Beaumaris Castle and to the historical integrity of Castle Street.