3832

 

II*  

Designated  

10/08/1953  

03/05/2002  

Palace Vaults  

 

Gwynedd  

Caernarfon  

Caernarfon  

Walled town  

247844  

362723  

N  

Directly opposite Caernarfon Castle and on the corner of the junction of Castle Ditch with Palace Street.  

Commercial  

 

Built in the third quarter of the C19 and first shown on the 1888 Ordnance Survey. The return elevation to Palace Street originally housed separate premises, which was a temperance house in 1883 and a wine and spirit merchant in 1895.  

Public House in "artisan classical" style. 4-bays, 3-storeys with attic. Symmetrical pedimented front of scribed stucco walls with stressed quoins, a slate roof on dentilled eaves cornice, hipped to the R and with 2 roughcast stacks to the front roof slope. Symmetrical front elevation, with pediment over 2 central bays. The lower storey is divided into 4 bays by regularly placed pairs of Ionic columns and a single column L of centre, all carrying a fascia with dentilled cornice. The lower storey has 16-pane hornless sash windows, except the bay L of centre which has a double panelled door under a plain overlight and a narrow 12-pane hornless sash window to its R. A cast iron crane is attached to the R side of the L-hand bay above cellar trap doors. The middle-storey 12-pane hornless sash windows have architraves with alternate segmental and triangular pediments on moulded consoles. In the upper storey are 9-pane sashes (horned L of centre) in moulded architraves with sill band. Central pediment has a round-headed attic window which has a hood mould on corbels. The plainer R side elevation, facing Palace Street, is 6 bays with sash windows of 12 & 9 panes (L end and L of centre bays are blind). The lower storey has replaced double doors to the L under an ironwork overlight, with 12-pane horned sash window to its R. Further R the lower storey is divided into 2 double bays by pilasters and a cornice on consoles, representing an earlier subdivision of the building. On the L side are two 12-pane hornless sash windows, while the R side has double fielded-panel doors and paired 12-pane hornless sashes divided by slender mullion (a former shop window). The L-shaped rear has a shallow outshut in the angle which has margin-lit round-headed windows, and 2-pane sashes to the rear of the Palace Street elevation in what was previously a separate property known as 22 Palace Street. Additions are built against the lower storey.  

Modernised internally.  

Listed grade II* as a mid C19 public house retaining exceptional "artisan-classical" character including a fine frontage with original detail including a cast iron crane; with other associated listed items it contributes to the setting of Caernarfon Castle.