Pump Room at Park Wells

Cadw's description

Location

Park Wells is 1.5km NW of the centre of Builth Wells and is reached by private drive W of Golf Links Road. The pump room is SW of the house.

History

Park Wells had become one of the better known sources of mineral waters in the Breconshire-Radnorshire border region by the early C19. By 1809 there were 3 springs whose waters were characterised as saline, sulphurous and chalybeate. The spring house was probably built by 1804 while the present pump room was added after 1904.

Exterior

A single-storey pump room with walls of weatherboard cladding over brick sills, and a slate roof with 2 ridge ventilators. Verandas on the W, S and E sides are under slate lean-to roofs. The veranda on the S side has 4 roof lights.

The front or S elevation has an 8-bay veranda and four 3-light wood framed mullioned and transomed windows, of which 2 are in the centre and the outer windows are at the ends placed beyond 2 doorways under deep overlights, of which the R-hand has double half-glazed doorways with fielded panels, and the L-hand are replaced. The veranda is supported by brackets resting on square chamfered posts.

The W gable end has a 3-bay veranda, a central 3-light window and 4-panel door to its L. In the gable is a louvred ventilator. The E gable end also has a 3-bay veranda, a louvred ventilator in the gable and a 4-panel door to the R.

Interior

Not inspected at time of resurvey, but previous inspection in 1980 recorded 2 rooms inside. The W room is where visitors are said to have drunk the waters obtainable from pumps alongside the N wall, and has a boarded ceiling and walls above a brick sill.

Reason for designation

Listed as one of the few well-preserved features associated with the mineral waters of the region that attracted visitors to the area in the C19, and for group value with the spring house.