Survey Data

Reg No

40847014


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic


Original Use

House


Historical Use

Shop/retail outlet


In Use As

House


Date

1810 - 1850


Coordinates

187494, 377460


Date Recorded

01/11/2007


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Semi-detached three-bay two-storey house with attic level, built c. 1830, formerly with shop/office to ground floor, now removed. Now in use as a house. Pitched artificial slate roof (fibre cement) with clay ridge tiles, projecting eaves course, some remaining cast-iron rainwater goods, and with rendered chimneystacks to gable ends (north-west and south-east). Smooth rendered walls over projecting rendered plinth, and having rock-faced painted sandstone block-and-start surrounds to the corners. Remains of rendered base to pilasters of former shop front to north-west side of ground floor level; chamfered corner with stop-chamfer to rear of north-west side elevation. Square-headed window openings having two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows, stone sills, and with rock-faced block-and-start sandstone surrounds to the first floor openings and raised block-and-start surrounds at ground floor window opening to south-east having raised and fielded lozenge/diamond keystone motif. Square-headed window opening to former shop/office having modern timber casement window. Central square-headed entrance door opening having timber panelled door with bolection mouldings, plinth blocks to base, raised block-and-start surround with raised and fielded lozenge/diamond keystone motif and plain overlight. Decorative head mouldings/corbels over doorway. Road-fronted to the south-east of Mountcharles town centre. Laneway to the north-west giving access to rear. Single-storey outbuildings to the rear having lean-to roofs, lime-washed rubble stone and roughcast rendered walls, and square-headed openings.

Appraisal

Despite some recent renovations, this appealing house has retained much of its early form and architectural character. Its integrity is enhanced by the retention of salient fabric such as the timber sash windows and the early timber panelled door. However, the loss of the original roof covering and the shopfront detracts from its appearance. This building is distinguished by the unusual decorative treatment to the surrounds to the openings and the rock-faced quoins to the corners. The decorative head brackets/consoles over the doorway are another interesting and unusual feature. The differing treatment to the ground and first floor surrounds creates appealing variation to the main elevation. This decorative treatment is echoed in the building adjoining to the south-east (see 40847015) suggesting that the two buildings were built as part of a common programme. According to local information, the former office of the Mountcharles quarry (one part of which was located adjacent to the north of this building) was located in the ground floor, which suggests that this building may have also been in use as a quarry manager’s house and may also help to explain the unusual decorative treatments to the main elevation (acting as an advertisement of the stonework of the quarry?). This building is an integral element of the built heritage of Mountcharles and, in conjunction with its associated neighbour, makes a strongly positive contribution to the streetscape at the south-east end of the town.