Gwynne House

Cadw's description

Location

Situated roughly midway along street in terraced row.

History

C18 substantial town house altered in earlier C19 and late C20, marked on 1834 map. Named for the Gwynne family, Sackville Gwynne married the heiress of the house, daughter of Charles Morgan attorney. In early C20 occupied by William Jones, art master at the Carmarthen School of Art whose son Ernest H. Jones (1877-1911) was a noted Egyptologist, who gave his collection to the Carmarthen County Museum. In 1926 occupied by Lady Kylsant, wife of Sir Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant, of Amroth Castle and Coomb, Llangynog. Lady Kylsant was heiress to the Morris banking family of Coomb. Much rebuilt in late C20. Occupied in 2002 by Ungoed, Thomas & King, solicitors (at No 33 in 1926).
Quay Street is the most complete street of C18 houses left in Carmarthen, the street formed in the early C12 and already by the late middle ages the street of Carmarthen's most prominent families. No 19, which has been demolished, was dated 1698. It is not yet possible to establish precise dates for the other houses but most of them seem to be of early to mid C18 date, some retaining panelling and staircases of the period.

Exterior

Terraced house, set back slightly from Nos 4-5. Painted stucco, slate roof with renewed eaves cornice of small modillions and red brick end stacks, right stack lower. Three-storey, 5-window range, with 12-pane sashes throughout, shorter on second floor. Central doorway all renewed since 1981 imitating original: open pediment on carved brackets, above fluted consoles, fanlight with radiating tracery, panelled reveals, C20 door of 6 fielded panels.
Plaque to right of door reading: Here lived Ernest Harold Jones, 1877-1911 Artist and Egyptologist Carmarthen Museum.

Interior

Interior much renovated since 1981. Earlier C19 staircase with stick balusters, scrolled tread-ends, column newels, and thin ramped rail. Staircase in 4 flights and landing. Reeded ceiling border with rosettes. Six-panel doors with shallow fielded panels. Panelled shutters with fielded panels. Front left room has sideboard recess with reeded pilasters and reeded elliptical arch with panelled reveals. Scrolled ceiling border.

Reason for designation

Included as a substantial late Georgian town house in the best surviving Georgian street of the town.