Former stables of Old Bull's Head Inn

Cadw's description

Location

At the rear of the hotel.

History

The Bull's Head Inn is of C17 origin and was a hotel by the mid C18. The stable block was added in the early C19 and is shown on the 1829 town plan. Now an annexe of the hotel and largely residential.

Exterior

A lofted 6-bay former stable block of rubble stone with bigger quoins, and slate roof. It has a near symmetrical elevation. A central advanced gabled entrance bay has freestone dressings and a tall brick stack. The entrance is a wide-chamfered segmental arch with massive single boarded door on replacement hinges. To the L and R are blocked windows under cambered stone heads. The advanced, gabled L end bay has a replacement 4-light window under a stone cambered head, and former pitching eye in a brick surround with inserted recessed small-pane horned sash window. The corresponding R-hand advanced gabled bay has a similar former pitching eye with inserted 2-pane window above a blocked window. Further R is an additional bay with freestone pilaster strip to the end. The cambered head of a former doorway can be seen above a wider former inserted doorway now blocked. The loft has a small-pane casement window to the L side. The R gable end is roughcast.

The entrance passage has a loft doorway on the L side converted to a window, and 2 doorways in the lower storey, replaced to the L and a boarded door to the R. The rear of the stable block has replacement small-pane and casement windows under brick heads, and has an inserted opening for a garage at the L end.

Interior

Modernised.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a late-Georgian stable block of definite quality and character, contributing to the setting of Ye Olde Bull's Head Inn and to the historical integrity of the Castle Street area.