The Gatehouse, including attached section of town wall at the rear

Cadw's description

Location

Fronting the street in the block of buildings between Steeple Lane and Church Street.

History

An C18 house still in the vernacular tradition, and built near the gatehouse, or 'Water Gate', shown on John Speed's 1610 plan of the town, which was still standing in 1785. The house is shown on the 1829 town plan with the medieval town wall abutting the rear of the house on its E side. The town wall was begun by 1414. Sections of wall on the sea front were repaired in the 1530s, but subsequently the town wall appears to have fallen into decay. The West or Water Gate at the end of Castle Street was still standing in 1785 and a long section of wall to its N was only taken down on the late C19 when Margaret Street was built, leaving only short section at the rear of No 48 Castle Street.

Exterior

A 2½-storey 2-window house of pebble-dashed front with smooth-rendered quoins, steep slate roof, grouted to the rear slope and rear wing, with stack to the L heightened in brick against the later No 50 Castle Street, and end stack to a rear wing on the L (W) side of the house. The R-hand angle is rounded. The entrance is offset to the R of centre and has a panelled door in a reed-moulded and pedimented doorcase. Windows have smooth-rendered architraves. To the L of the entrance is a 4-pane horizontal-sliding sash window, and to its R is a later inserted 9-pane margin-lit window. In the upper storey are two 2-light casements (replacing earlier sashes) and two flat roof dormers have 2-light windows.

The rear has a late C20 1-storey projection against the main house, with balcony above. The rear wing has a lower ridge line and was extended in the C20. Both original and later sections have replacement upper-storey windows. The main range has a small casement in a flat roof dormer L of centre, to the L of which is an added large dormer, also with flat roof.

Attached to the E side of the rear is a short section of the former medieval town wall, of rubble stone approximately 6m long and 5m high.

Interior

The main range is now a single room, and has a joist-beam ceiling with 3 cross beams, all chamfered with run-out stops. The fireplace to the L of the entrance has a big timber lintel. The original back door, now within the added 1-storey projection, has chamfered stone jambs (possibly salvaged from the earlier gatehouse near the site) and a stone lintel of different character. The dog-leg stair has a square newel and some fretwork balusters, probably of the C18, but otherwise has been entirely rebuilt. A former stair window has been blocked, probably when the adjoining No 50 Castle Street was built. In the upper storey are 2 cross beams, and a corbel against the L gable end that was possibly salvaged from the earlier gatehouse. The roof has one collar-beam truss with raking struts. Original purlins were removed and replaced when the eaves were slightly raised, giving a roof of flatter pitch. The rear wing, in the lower storey, has a single spine beam and a rough timber lintel over the fireplace.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as an C18 house retaining C19 character and detail, and with a rare surviving section of medieval town wall attached to the rear, and for its contribution to the historical integrity of Castle Street.