Rock House

Cadw's description

Location

Situated prominently facing E over the Market Square.

History

Substantial mid C18 town house, formerly owned by the Powis estate. It is said to have been the Bow & Arrow or Plough & Harrow inn before c. 1785, which Jake Griffiths was paid by the estate for thatching in 1771-2, but the present house does not suggest a thatched roof. On the 1839 tithe map it is marked as occupied by Charlotte Pryce, with John Jones, scrivener, occupying a part or just N wing, Eleanor Brian in Llwyn Cottage to rear, and with a large malthouse behind occupied by Thomas Rogers. Rock House is said to have housed a private school at one time. In a photograph of c1900 a draper's shop is shown in the basement, with shop front where now there is a garage. The cattle market occupied the present garden area to the N.

Exterior

House, red brick, Flemish bond, with slate hipped roof and massive red brick stack on left roof slope, another to rear right. Tall three-storey and attic, four-bay front with narrower windows in right bay. Four sloping eaves dormers with sash windows, three 8-pane and the fourth narrower, 6-pane. Dentilled brick eaves, cambered headed openings to first and second floors with 16-pane sash windows except in right bay which has narrow 12-pane sashes. On ground floor left a modern garage entry replaces the C19 shopfront, then a good timber columned porch with two front columns, pilaster responds and corniced entablature, in front of cambered-headed doorway with six-panel door, the top four glazed. To right, set between the third and fourth bays a later C19 or early C20 canted 3-light bay window with 2-4-2-pane horned sash glazing and moulded cornice.
To right is a two-storey, one bay wing with front of rubble stone with brick courses under eaves, slate roof and brick N end stack. A brick cambered-headed window each floor with renewed 2-light window below and 16-pane horned sash window above.
Left side elevation shared with Llwyn Cottage, with right bay only part of Rock House. First floor and second floor similar 16-pane sash window and 8-pane eaves dormer.

Interior

Interior not fully inspected. Ground floor has narrow entrance hall with mid C18 staircase. Turned column-on-vase balusters, moulded rail and thick turned column-and-vase newels. Narrow room to right has two squared beams, and two-panel door on back wall.

Reason for designation

Included at II* as an exceptionally large, handsome Georgian town house, ambitious in scale, and with good consistent C18 detail.