Pier House

Cadw's description

Location

Facing the harbour on the S side of Crackwell Street at the junction with Bridge Street.

History

Late Victorian house now flats, formerly The Pier Hotel. The detail of the oriel windows and door matches Sparta House of 1886 next door.

Exterior

House, now flats, painted stucco, 3 storeys and basement, 4 bays, with moulded cornice with dentils and parapets at different levels. Two-window range to left of door and 1-window range to right. Coped gables and big rendered chimneys to right end and between first and second bays. Doorway has stucco pilasters and entablature, 6-panel door and overlight, and above are a pair of pilasters on a big plain plinth rising through 2 floors to capitals at level of main cornice. High parapet over this bay and over bay to left, raised strips in parapet over pilasters. Bay to left has 4-pane sash each floor in moulded surround with moulded detached cornice over. Outer bays have similar ground floor windows under 2-storey stuccoed canted oriel windows with moulded cornices and shaped panelled bases. Right bay has parapet lower than that of middle 2 bays and left bay has blocking course only over cornice, which is continued around narrow E end elevation.
E end has first and second floor cambered-headed 4-pane sash. First floor window has moulded surround with sill on brackets and detached cornice over, also on brackets. Second floor window has detached cornice but does not have the surround.
Rear to Bridge St has stuccoed plain elevation, modernised. Parapet stepped up to right. Ground floor door (to Pier House Garden Flat) to left, C20 door and overlight in stuccoed surround with keystone. To right are long 2-pane stair lights, one to each floor. Over door are 3 small windows, one to each floor, possibly inserted later.

Reason for designation

Included as a prominent later Victorian stucco front overlooking the harbour.