Former house of the artist Charles Norris

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the N side of Bridge Street at the junction with Quay Hill.

History

House with late medieval core of which a blocked door and a window are visible externally in the W end wall to Quay Hill. Two parallel ranges, the S front to Bridge St numbered on old OS map Nos 1 and 2 is apparently a late C18 or early C19 remodelling of something older while the N range to the harbour has an early C19 regular stucco facade, much altered in C20, but the visible medieval remains are in the W end wall of this part. The house was in 1977 divided into flats known as Sparta Cottage, Merchant's and Tudor Maisonettes, and in 2001 was disused. Charles Norris, whose Etchings of Tenby, 1812, are the invaluable record of early Tenby buildings, lived here 1805-21. Council minutes in 1817 record the letting to Norris of a piece of ground to the N and adjoining Bridge Street House garden and bounded by Quay Hill Street opposite the blacksmith's shop, and another angular piece in Bridge St at the E corner of Bridge Street House garden, that may relate to building works here. Old photographs suggest that the S front is much altered in C20.

Exterior

House, now flats, two parallel ranges of differing character. Slate valley roof with 2 brick W end stacks.
S front to Bridge Street painted rough rubble stone raised at eaves by some 9 courses of brick. Close eaved roof. Two storeys, 3-window range. First floor 9-pane sash to left, paired 4-pane sashes to centre and 12-pane sash to right. Ground floor has 12-pane sash each side with hacked-off remnant of cornices over, indicating that this front was once stuccoed and a pair of doors in centre in raised stucco surround with cambered arch, raised keystone and angle blocks. C20 doors with overlights. Two basement windows with brick walling splayed-in over, the left one a small-paned sash, the right one obscured. Rendered double-gabled left end wall to Quay Hill with surviving medieval detail to left gable only, the end-wall of the harbour front. This has a blocked pointed door to ground floor left with thin
stones both to jambs and as voussoirs. First floor right has blocked door with arched head made up of 8 eroded sandstone blocks, 2 for base, 2 for jambs, 2 for imposts and 2 for the arch. The right gable, end-wall of the Bridge Street range has boarded ground floor window to left, window above with casement and top-light glazing and a narrow 2-pane sash in the gable. The 1977 list records that adjacent to the first floor blocked door was a late medieval 2-light window, already then covered over, but this may be erroneous.
N front to the harbour, is 3-storey, 4-window, painted roughcast, with parapet. Four second-floor 12-pane horned sashes, first floor has 12-pane sashes to outer windows and 2 glazed doors to centre opening onto full width C20 balcony built out over 3 ground floor projections. Ground floor centre porch with arch-headed doorway and outer utility stores with board doors on inner walls and 12-pane sashes in original front wall each side of porch. All windows are later C20.

Interior

The N range is said to have a first floor room with a decorative plaster ceiling divided into 4 compartments with an oval design in each compartment. The S range said to have C17 plastered ceiling decoration in ground floor rooms (1977 list). The Tenby Museum has photographs of plaster ceiling and of a cellar arch

Reason for designation

Included as containing significant surviving medieval fabric, and for historic interest as the house of Charles Norris.