Ivy House

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the corner of Church Bank and Bishops Castle Street.

History

A corner house, earlier to mid C18 with late C19 shop window facing down Broad Street. It was known as China House in mid-C20. The row of houses facing Church Bank are marked on 1833 map as owned by Thomas Rogers. Thomas Rogers, registrar, is listed in Church Street in 1858-9. The house has an unusually ornate eaves cornice, not typical of the town.

Exterior

House, red brick Flemish bond with steep slate roof hipped at W end and with deep eaves and heavily carved large modillions. Red brick chimneys on ridge and at E end. Two storeys with cellar and attic. Raised brick band. Church Bank elevation of four bays, spaced three to left and one to right, and with two small catslide dormers. Elevation slopes down from left with street and has high rendered plinth to right. Right bay has a blind first-floor window above a canted oriel shop-window with 4-16-4 iron small panes, fascia and cornice. The left three bays have 12-pane sashes above two doors and a centre 12-pane sash. Right door has stone steps, two semi-circular, C19 door with two glass panels, under a flat timber hood. Single iron rail. Left doorway has modern part-glazed door with three-pane overlight under curved hood on horizontal console brackets.
Right end, to Bishop's Castle Street, has high rendered base, large ground floor shop window, raised band carried around and 16-pane sash under eaves. Basement has ledged cellar door to left and fixed 2-light window to right, with cambered heads. The casing of the shop window is carried down to ground level, with panels under a window of eight large panes in frame of piers with big console brackets, fascia and cornice.
Straight joints to Penygrisiau to S and Church Bank house to E.

Interior

Lobby entry plan. W room with encased cross-axial beam and E wall altered fireplace. Room to left of entry has chamfered beam with ogee stops and oak beam over partition to small E end room. Enclosed stairs to S of main chimney.

Reason for designation

Included for its special historic interest as a substantial C18 town house withgood external detail including unusual eaves cornice; good shop window detail associated with C19 alterations. .