The Old Bell Museum

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in terraced row between the Old Stores House and No 7.

History

Former inn, now museum, C16 to C17 in origin, much rebuilt in C18 to early C19. An analysis of the building in 1980 by Dr C. Ryan suggests that most of the structure is Georgian, but the jettied gabled porch bay may have been brought from elsewhere. The two bays to left of the porch are roughcast, possibly timber-framed, the one to right is of Georgian brick. Long outbuilding to rear SW was at various times a malthouse and slaughterhouse. Carefully restored in later C20 as a museum for the Montgomery Civic Society. The history of the inn is obscure, mentioned as The Bell in a deed of 1729, marked as owned by the Powis estate on 1833 map and on 1839 tithe map, when occupied by Mary Weaver, widow. It was probably the post-office run by Edward Weaver in 1858-9, a temperance hotel c. 1900, later a butchers' shop of Eaton and then of the Davies family (C.P. Davies landlord of the Dragon Hotel), then Maddox, newsagents.

Exterior

Former inn, now museum, painted roughcast over rubble stone with slate eaves roof and right end brick stack. Two storeys, four bays with big gabled porch-bay in third. First three bays have stone ground floor and roughcast (over timber-frame) above, the fourth is refronted in painted brick above a stone plinth. The porch bay projects with tall square headed doorway, ledged door with overlight flanked by painted brick, formerly timber posts, carrying the jettied first floor with moulded bressumer and small Palladian leaded three-light window, under gable projected on two big carved brackets, carrying tie beam with carved leaf tendril design. C19 or renewed bargeboards and finial. First bay has small-paned cross-window with iron opening light and first floor small-paned casement pair. Second bay has triple casement above a door and a lean-to of whitewashed brick with slate roof in angle to porch bay. Lean-to has wide shop window of two lights, with small panes, 8-pane top-lights over 12-pane fixed lights, the left one boarded over. Attached in angle to left is later C19 triangular flat hood on two wooden wall-posts with jowl heads, sheltering double doors into former parlour, and a pair of C19 leaded doors into the side of the lean-to. Fourth bay has triple casement to first floor, and leaded three-light ground floor window with top lights, under cambered brick head. Stone plinth with basement opening.
Rear left has rubble wall with small iron casement pair over C19 painted brick lean-to. Single timber post exposed to centre, and right with rendered first floor and small iron fixed light and iron casement pair over lean-to enclosed porch and iron small-paned cross-window. Rear wing is in two parts: first part of brick, stretcher bond, with single casement to extreme right on ground floor and casement pair above, with iron opening light. Then wall is stepped out, but under same eaves, with brick ground floor and rubble stone above. Double broad doors. Rubble stone gable end with cambered-headed loft window.

Stone cobbled setts in front.

Interior

Close-studded structure of porch wing visible internally at first floor level. Rear room to left of cross passage with large lateral stack with bread oven, possibly a later addition. C19 and earlier fittings. Three-bay roof, two trusses, said to be re-used with traces of smoke-blackening.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a substantial former inn with early origins and good external character including distinctive fenestration and jettied porch.