Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
53-3a King Street
Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Commercial
- Date of designation
- 19 May 1981
- Community
- Carmarthen
- Unitary authority
- Carmarthenshire
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.85683, -4.30541
- Cadw reference
- 9472
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
Situated approximately 20m NE from entrance to Jackson's Lane.
History
Commercial premises, late C17 or early C18 with exterior altered in C19. There was a plumbers business of William Baldwin here in the 1830s, continued by his wife Sarah at 53-4 King Street. No 53 was premises of Isaac Davies (d 1855), noted cabinet-maker who made the mayor's seat in the parish church 1851. His daughter Catherine had a milliners business in No 53a until 1842 when she married the commercial traveller poet Titus Lewis (c1820-87). In 1884 premises of John Davies, boot and shoe maker, George Morgan, book-binder and registrar, and Harry Brunel White, solicitor. In 1914 and 1926 Dicks boot and shoe makers at No 53 and Bland tobacconist at No 53a.
Exterior
Commercial premises with 2 shops, similar to No 52. Painted stucco with plain eaves cornice to flat or low-pitched slate roof, red brick chimney to left against side of No 54, truncated stack to right. Three storeys, 4-bays, second floor, 4-pane hornless sash windows (left window has plate glass sash), short cross-windows to first floor. Shop fronts in early C20 casing, late C20 shop-window to right, early C20 shop front on left with plate glass window to left of recessed shop door and house door, window with thin column shafts and small spandrel brackets, doors with overlights, house door of six panels. Common casing of pilasters, large brackets framing deep fascia with awning box over. Brackets have half-round caps. Rear has broad gable with 4-pane stair lights.
Interior
Shop interiors both altered. Fine earlier to mid C18 staircase to rear from cellar to attic with large turned balusters, square panelled newels and closed pulvinated string. Some dado panelling from ground floor to cellar. Stair rises in 6 flights. Said to have massive roof trusses (1981 list), half truss visible at top of rear stair gable and one purlin. One 4-panel fielded-panelled door at first floor.
Reason for designation
Included as a C18 town house refronted in late C19 but retaining fine staircase. Group value.
Nearby in the register
- 54 King StreetDomesticunder 1 mi
- 52 King StreetCommercialunder 1 mi
- No 51 including near-detached rear wingCommercialunder 1 mi
- The Lyric Theatre and front range to King StreetRecreationalunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.