3874

18  

II*  

Designated  

10/08/1953  

03/05/2002  

Castle House  

18 High Street  

Gwynedd  

Caernarfon  

Caernarfon  

Walled town  

247793  

362811  

S  

At the junction of High Street and Castle Street.  

Domestic  

 

Dated 1768 on a rainwater head shared with 16 High Street, although a later inscription on the building claims a date of 1735. The character of the building suits the later date rather than the earlier. Alteration in the late C19 comprised the creation of shop fronts in the lower storey and the application of roughcast to the main elevations. It was occupied by RH Thomas, a grocer, by 1895.  

A Georgian 3-storey 3-bay house and shop of scribed roughcast walls and hipped slate roof on moulded eaves. The High Street elevation retains the original bay structure in the middle and upper storeys, where there are shallow full-height canted bays to the L and R, and a narrow window to the centre, all of which have original openings replaced with casement windows. Between middle and upper storeys is a late C19 inscription in raised letters: 'Estd 1735, Castle House'. Lower storey is surmounted by a deep moulded cornice with a boarded soffit, created in the late C19 on conversion to shops. On the L side is a double shop window with wooden glazing bars and panelled pilasters. On its R side is a swinging cast iron crane. A central doorway has double panelled doors with panelled pilasters. Immediately to its R is another doorway, reached up stone steps, with panelled door and small-pane overlight. A canted bay to the R end has a 12-pane hornless sash window. The single window Castle Street elevation also retains original openings in the middle and upper storeys. Palladian window with small-pane casements replacing earlier sashes, to first floor similar windows above, but with painted outer windows. Between middle and upper storeys is a late C19 inscription 'RH Thomas'. The lower-storey shop front has panelled pilasters and deep cornice over the fascia. A 4-light shop window has thin wood mullions, the R-hand light splayed towards the recessed doorway. The stall board has been rendered. The doorway has a half-lit panelled door with etched glass panels, and 2-pane overlight.  

Not inspected but said by RCAHM Wales to have a complex early C18 staircase with slender turned balusters, moulded only at the heads and feet, and columns of similar form supporting a 4-bay landing arcade (one spandrel and a capital being pendant). A first floor room was described as having "curious decoration".  

Listed grade II* as an especially fine Georgian house on a prominent corner site, with well-preserved late C19 shop detail, and for its contribution to the historic integrity of the walled town.