Brecon Castle Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently sited above River Usk and next to remains of great hall of castle. Entrance front faces Castle Square and castle motte.

History

Late C17 to C18 structure built in the site of Brecon Castle and refashioned in early to mid C19, and late C19/early C20. Shown together with Watergate Mill in C18 and early C19 prints. George IV dined here in 1821.

Exterior

Hotel; stucco. North elevation has central block of 3 storeys,3 windows; slate roof with projecting eaves and end chimneys. Hornless sash windows; 6-pane sashes on top floor, otherwise 12-pane sashes. Central flat-roofed porch with fanlight above door. To either side of central block, a lower 2-storey, 3-window wing with hipped roof of gradated slate courses. Two dormers with hipped slate roofs and casement glazing. Twelve pane sash windows. At W end there is a further similar wing, set back, of two storeys and attic with front wall of one bay's width with tripartite sash window on each floor.
At E end, there is a 3-storey gabled block 2 windows wide. At right angles, late C19 or early C20 wing in stone with half-timbered gables and archway to former stable yard
South elevation faces river. To L, westernmost block of one bay with semi-circular attic lunette and tripartite small-pane sash windows on first and ground floors. Then a 3-window block with two hipped dormers and with modern block built in front of it. Third block comprises a rear range to the central block in the front elevation; this has a 2-storey canted bay window at the W end and two further bays to the E with 12-pane sash windows in all openings. At E end, a high projecting block (refashioned externally in late C19 to early C20) has 2 transomed and mullioned windows with architraves, entablatures and pediments on first floor and, on ground floor, a large bay window with balustraded parapet.

Interior

Interior of Hotel has early to mid C19 detailing including doorways with fluted architraves and angle blocks, ceiling beams, panelled ceilings.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as building with well-preserved historic character. Hotel with C17 or C18 origins on important historic site. Group Value with adjacent listed buildings, including the remains of the medieval castle of Brecon.