Furnace House including forecourt walls, railings, gates and overthrow

Cadw's description

Location

Situated opposite top of Church Lane.

History

Town house built c1760 for Robert Morgan (1707-78) , who set up the Carmarthen Furnace in 1748. The railings are contemporary, dated 1761 M Busteed fecit, the date that Morgan set up 2 tinplate rolling mills, and were supposedly made at the foundry, though there is a suggestion that some at least of the ironwork was London-made. Sold by the Morgan family in 1878 to S. E. Richards, occupied by Mrs Richards in 1890, but used as judges' lodgings. David Harris MB JP occupant in 1926, later used by YWCA. Reconstructed as Public Library in 1972-3, with the façade only retained, together with forecourt walls and railings.

Exterior

Façade to former town house, now public library, the remainder rebuilt in later C20. Three storey and basement, 5-window front in painted cement render with raised stucco quoins to angles, stone sills and fine ashlar porch. Slate roof without end stacks. Porch up 4 stone steps has 2 Corinthian columns with carved capitals and moulded bases supporting entablature and cornice. C20 door. Cast iron railings matching those dated 1761 to each side of steps: column-on-vase type with square bases and large column newels with ball finials. Handrails ramped down to posts.
Basement has 9-pane timber sashes with stone sills flanking porch, with lower, similar 6-pane sashes with stone sills to outer bays. Ground floor and first floor windows all renewed 15-pane horned sashes, second floor has matching 12-pane sashes. Raised plain course above second floor under parapet with stone coping.

Forecourt is bounded on 2 sides by rendered walls with ashlar coping and raised piers to front. Two large pineapple finials on pedestals, the front finials on
stepped pedestals the rear ones on higher swept pedestals. Slightly inward of centre each side is an ashlar niche with plain raised piers, arch surround and keystone. Each niche incorporates a seat with panel below set between raised piers. Across front are remarkable cast-iron railings on 2 ashlar low walls. Railings are fluted column on turned pedestal and have gadrooned urn finials. Two sets each side of piers of 4 similar linked rails with cap and larger urn finial, ashlar plinth broken forward under each set. Inner gateposts are cast-iron columns with 4 similar rails around, on high pedestals (to top of ashlar walls) and with entablature blocks that carry sets of 4 grouped rails with cap and 4 urn finials from which springs a twisted iron overthrow with lamp bracket of scrolled iron. Entablature blocks inscribed 1761 and M. Busteed fecit. Gates have similar rails with urn finials above ramped-down top rails, the lower part with open ironwork to a concave-sided lozenge pattern with centre circle.

Reason for designation

Included despite rebuilding as an imposing C18 facade with ironwork to railings of exceptionally early date and high quality.