3 Castle Terrace

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at right end of terraced row on hillside above the Market Square.

History

Part of an early-mid C19 terrace of three houses on the site of, and probably including part of the structure from the first county gaol, built c1735. It is thought that the premises were originally larger and that there was a gaoler's house opposite, now gone. When the gaol was surveyed in 1774 by Thomas Pritchard it was found to be inadequate. There were then two dungeons, 8’ x 7’ with water running through.

The gaol described in a report of 1803 is hard to equate with the present single three-storey range. It had a yard 44' x 32' for debtors, a day room 14' x 14' and a small bath room. Above were eight good sized rooms. There was a male felons yard with day room with eight cells each about 8' 6" x 7' and 9' 6" high. The women prisoners had a small yard, a day room with one sleeping cell on the ground floor and two bedrooms above. There was a large room over the gaol entrance used as a chapel and a small sick-room. It would thus appear to have been two-storey. A House of Correction was built on the Pool Road in the early C19, and the gaoler paid a salary for both establishments from 1816. The County Gaol was replaced in 1830-2 by the new gaol on Gaol Road. The present houses appear to have been remodelled c.1830-40, and are marked as three houses on 1839 Tithe map, owned by the Powis Estate with No 3 occupied by David Lloyd. Although the building retains evidence of phasing and development in the brickwork and masonry, the character of the terrace is substantially early C19

Exterior

Three-storey terrace, red brick, Flemish bond, with deep-eaved roof of imitation slates, hipped at original NE corner but with gabled E projection with brick stack. The terrace comprises No 1, a house of two bays with door in third bay to left, No 2 a narrower house of two-plus-one bays and No 3 a house at right angles across the N end. There is a partial straight joint between Nos 1 and 2, stonework in the S gable of No 1 and some different brickwork in the S end gable of No 3 suggesting extensive modification.

No 3 has main front at right angles to row, of a regular three bays, but the roof hip suggests that the facade has been extended a little to left in gabled east facing projection. A brickwork joint also shows that right bay is added. Three bays, cambered-headed small paned iron casement windows, pairs in left and centre bays, triple with smaller panes in right bay. Centre doorway with thin pedimental hood on carved wooden brackets. Door-frame is moulded with angle blocks. Ledged door with thin cover strips and two glass panels. The E end projection has deep gable verges, the left verge carried on a raking post as the projection is not as wide as the gable.

Projection has square hipped bay window with iron small-paned glazing on three sides. First floor has iron small single casement with crude wooden hood-mould. W end gable has big chimney breast part truncated below gable level and a smaller gabled projection facing S, parallel to main rear wall. Blocked wide arched openings in the S wall of this gabled projection, partly within the lean-to extension of No 2.

Interior

Interior not inspected.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as part of a prominent early-mid C19 terraced row, located high above the town and for retaining good original detail. Also of special historic interest for being built on the site of the C18 gaol, possibly retaining fabric from this earlier building.