Bryn Roma, including front garden wall, railings and gate

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at left end of terraced row running SE from Penuel Street.

History

End terrace house of 1897-9, similar to but more elaborate than the matching pair of terraces Nos 1-4 and 5-8 The Esplanade, built in 1879, the date on the deed of No 4. Three newly built houses called 1-3 East Parade were advertised in 1879, and in 1881 Mr Hutchings the town surveyor said to a council meeting that he had drawn out plans for Mr Ellis the contractor for new houses on the Parade, but merely to help them get the plans passed, he had not supervised the building. No 9 is built to a larger scale with gabled cross-wing instead of plainer left half of other houses. During construction of No 9 in 1897 an important Roman bath-house was uncovered on the site. The house appears to have been built for the banker Thomas Charles Morris of Bryn Myrddin, Abergwili, who provided a mortgage for the owner of No 4 in 1879. Occupied by Mrs Morris 1926, already then called Bryn Roma.

Exterior

End terrace house to a larger scale than the other 8, with large gabled cross-wing to left, the entrance bay to right same as rest of terrace. Red brick chimney stack to left of entrance bay and on side wall of cross-wing. Painted stucco with slate roofs. Right bay has deep eaves with 2 pairs of deep brackets, string course stepped over upper window and sill band. Upper sash replaced with UPVC glazing. ground floor plinth and ornate stucco doorcase with arched panels to piers, scrolled console brackets and cornice broken forward over consoles, with dentil course below. C20 door with rectangular overlight.
Left crosswing gable end is slightly advanced with bold dentil course on bargeboards. Two storeys and attic, with rusticated quoins, and plinth. Attic segmental-arched moulded surround with vermiculated keystone. C20 uPVC glazing throughout. Large 2-storey canted bay window, broader bay to ground floor with sloping lead roof and upper bay window has cast-iron cresting to a Gothic pattern. Original thin piers flanking the windows with console brackets and original cornices broken forward over piers. Stepped friezes and dentils under cornice moulding.
Three steps down to pathway leading to steps to left down to pavement and left hand gate. Low rubble wall, with cast-iron gate and railings similar to those elsewhere along the terrace: intersecting oval pattern with finials. Turned baluster type gateposts, matching gate. Similar rails stepped up between No 9 and No 8.

Reason for designation

Included, despite altered windows, as principal house of an unusually architectural later C19 pair of terraces, characterising the architecturally ambitious expansion of the town in the later C19.