Westgate House

Cadw's description

Location

On the S side of Main Street some 25m W of its junction with Northgate Street.

History

Substantial stuccoed town house, now offices and flats. Probably early C19 with exterior stucco detail of later C19 date. Westgate House was called 'recently reroofed and repaired' when offered for sale in 1869. It was then described as having an underground cellar, walled garden and a potential building site beside. In 1926 occupied by H. A. Jones-Lloyd of Lancych, Clydau, Pembs. From c. 1949 to late C20 Nos. 3 and 5 were linked to the Lion Hotel. The ground floor front is a dental surgery (2004), the back two rooms open into No 5 and are leased and the entry to the stairs and upper flats is from the rear. The unvaulted cellar is similar to that in No 5 late C18 or early C19, the stairs are probably of the 1860s remodelling. The provenance of the two c. 1700 carved brackets in the broad blocked opening between front and back is unknown.
There may have been an inn here in the earlier C19 called the Fox, but evidence is lacking.

Exterior

End-terrace house, painted stucco with imitation slates to roof, moulded timber eaves, and small rendered W end stack. Three storeys, five bays, with plinth, first floor tooled stone sill course, channelled outer piers, the ground floor rustication in tooled stone, channelled rustication to the ground floor and tooled stone plinth. Boxed eaves. Plate glass horned sash windows, the second floor windows cambered headed, the centre one only in a raised shouldered surround with sill brackets. Long first floor windows, the centre window with stucco moulded architrave with panelled pilasters and lintel, and cornice on brackets. Unusually ornate C19 iron balcony with ornate and curving scrolls to balustrade, carried on two pierced iron brackets. Ground floor has plain stucco heads to openings, breaking the channelled rustication. Above, and below first floor sill course, is a plain strip equivalent to two courses of the channeling. Windows have C20 scrolled iron guards. Centre recessed doorway with overlight and hardwood three-panel door, the top two panels arched. Painted tooled stone sills.
Right end wall has no windows in main gable but parallel rear range has long stair-light to left and one window each floor to right, one a hornless 12-pane sash. Rear range has E end brick stack. Beyond is long two-storey former stable and coach-house range, converted to flats, running S and returning E to enclose rear court. Painted rubble rear W wall with 4 small widely-spaced windows under eaves. E side to courtyard is painted rendered with C20 windows.
Rear of house is slate hung, three-storey, two-bay, with mostly modern windows. Attached to rear SW is long two-storey former stable and coach house range, painted stucco to E, modern windows, now flats. Short SE return. Rear W to Long Entry, painted rubble stone, with four small first floor loft windows. A piece of projecting masonry towards the N end may be ancient.

Interior

Ground floor altered, front dental surgery, back partly opened into shop in No 5. A wide opening with modern timber lintel between front and back is blocked, and has two heavily carved and large late C17 or early C18 acanthus brackets reused. Rear entry now into stair hall with good C19 stair in four flights with continuous curving rail, two balusters per tread, thin, one turned, one spiral twisted, scrolled foot to rail on balusters around centre bulbous cast-iron newel. Scrolled tread ends. At foot of stair is entry to cellar under front room, modern ceiling, lime-plastered walls, two square-headed recesses on E wall.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as a distinguished Victorian town house facade of definite quality on an earlier C19 building.