House and Beau's Tea Rooms

Cadw's description

Location

Fronting the street in a block of buildings between Rating Row and Church Street.

History

Said to have been built in 1792 and shown on the 1829 town plan as a house, although it was probably originally a 2-storey house subsequently heightened to 3 storeys. The lower storey was converted to a shop in the late C19, and directories list it as a shop selling toys and fancy goods in 1895 and a tailor's shop in 1917. A later photograph shows it as a confectioner's and refreshment rooms.

Exterior

A Georgian 3-storey 2-window shop and house of pebble-dashed front painted pink, and slate roof with brick stack to the L. The shop front has fluted pilasters. The doorway R of centre has '1792' in modern numerals, a fielded-panel door in a moulded surround and 2 windows to the L, of which the L-hand is 2-light and the R-hand was formerly a doorway. Further R is a 2-pane sash window. Replacement horned 12-pane sash windows to the middle and upper storeys are offset to the L side and are smaller in the upper storey.

Interior

The lower storey has 3 chamfered cross beams and a lateral fireplace to the R with timber lintel. Corresponding with the former doorway L of the present entrance are wooden posts of a former partition, 2 of which are stop-chamfered whereas the other appear to have been re-used.

Reason for designation

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