George and Dragon Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

Fronting the street and set back from the junction with Castle Street.

History

Probably built in 1610, the date (now concealed) recorded on a roof truss in the 1930s, and originally timber-framed with jettied upper storey. The George & Dragon is shown on the 1829 town plan and 1889 Ordnance Survey with a house and shop immediately to the S which has now been incorporated into the public house. The present front is a C20 remodelling subsequent to the amalgamation of the 2 properties, when the upper storey was under-built, with later alteration.

Exterior

A 2-storey public house, with a neo-Georgian style front of pebble-dashed walls with smooth-rendered architraves and upper-storey sill band, slate roof, roughcast stack L of centre and 2 tall stone stacks to the rear. In the 6-window front, the lower storey has a 12-pane hornless sash window to the L end, then a modern door, a segmental-headed, studded cellar door with small window above it, two 12-pane hornless sashes, a doorway with panel door and glazed panels, a tripartite 12-pane horned sash window and boarded door at the R end. Between storeys is a rendered inscription band with raised letters and the date 1410. In the upper storey are 4-pane horned sashes, unequally placed and including a tripartite window at the R end.

Additions have been made to the rear, on the R of which is a C17 or C18 kitchen.

Interior

The lower storey has been modernised but retains cross beams and timber-framed partitions, one with exposed wattle, in the lower storey. One of the brackets that formerly supported the upper storey has also survived. The lateral fireplace on the R side survives partially, and has a timber lintel under a moulded cornice. The L gable end has a later, plainer but larger fireplace with stop-chamfered lintel.

In the upper storey, at the N end, is an arched-brace truss on a wooden bracket, and 2 timber-framed partitions, and cusped wind braces. One of the partitions, the gable end of the original building, has herringbone struts in the gable. The other partition retains fragments of wall painting, including 2 horned devils in a roundel to the R side, and a cross with bleeding heart beneath the apex. Below a beam bears the restored inscription 'PAX DEUS VOBIS REQUIE DEFUGE DEUS PROVIDEBIT ...'.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* for its exceptional interest as an early C17 house with later modification and alteration to a public house, with especially fine C17 interior detail.