10989

 

II  

Designated  

08/03/1966  

18/06/2004  

Castle Hotel  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llandovery  

 

 

276687  

234311  

SE  

Situated prominently facing E down King's Road and the High Street by NE entrance to castle car park.  

Commercial  

 

Large late C17 to early C18 coaching hotel, altered early C19 and later. The hotel comprises several buildings, the original faced N over Broad Street with a very large lateral chimney (now the SE corner of the main range) which looks late C17. Attached range of outbuildings to right were probably former coach-houses and stables said to date from c1910. The main part of the hotel is at right angles facing down King's Road, a mid C18 3-storey 5-bay range with additional range to left, at one time separated and known as Cawdor House from the 1890s, reunited in late C20. This seems to be of 2 parts, the 2-storey 2-bay older piece attached to the hotel with a bay added for a staircase (not shown in drawing in 1909 town guide). The inn according to a deed of 1818 was known as the New Bear before becoming the Castle by 1800. It was the principal coaching inn of the town through the early C19, Lord Nelson with Sir William and Lady Hamilton visited in 1802, George Borrow in 1854. The hotel had an assembly room by the 1820s. The portico is 1987 copy of one lost in the 1960s, part of a restoration by Mitchell & Holden architects of Pembroke.  

Large hotel. Principal block facing E of 3 storeys, 5 bays with lower 2-storey, 3-bay range to left. Slate gabled roof, hipped on right, and with rendered chimney to left; on rear NW corner of hipped roof is a massive square roughcast chimney with vertical sunk panel to each side, dividing flues and rebated corners. Deep eaves, painted roughcast front with plinth, hornless sahes, 9-pane square to 2nd floor, 12-pane to 1st and ground floor. Centre C20 broad entry within 3-bay reinstated portico with 4 Roman Doric columns, cornice and flat roof. Former Cawdor House to left has slate gabled close-eaved roof of steeper pitch and rubble stone chimney on ridge to left (original left end). Low plinth, 2-bay main part with 2 hornless sash windows each floor, with hoodmoulds of mid C19 character, 12-pane windows below set considerably higher than ground floor windows of main range and 9-pane windows above, close to eaves. Added single bay to left under contiuous roof with single small 9-pane hornless sash window with hoodmould, set at mid-height. Left hand return has 4-pane central sash window to 2nd floor and two 5-pane sashes to first floor. Broad Street elevation in 3 sections, painted roughcast: to left is right hand return of facade with the massive chimney at right hand corner cutting through roof. Middle section (the earliest) is a 3 bay, 2 storey and attic range with steep-pitched slate gabled roof with large chimney with external chimney breast to right. Two gabled 4-pane dormer windows, close eaves, 12-pane sash windows and central half-glazed panelled door with plain rectangular overlight. Three windows above and the 2 below set slightly further out than the corresponding upper outer windows. Raised plinth. Very long one and half storey range to right, former stables, altered. This has 3 tall upper windows with sills just below eaves in roughcast bargeboarded gables, 2 to left, one to centre right. Windows have earlier C20 leaded glazing with arch head within the square one. Sill of second window is lower. Ground floor renewed triple casement windows under each upper window and doors to left of second bay and to right of third bay, also triple casement under eaves to far right.  

Interior of main range has early C18 oak staircase behind and to left of front hall, the first flight enclosed, the next 4 rising in dog-leg flights with moulded closed string, thick turned balusters, square newels and heavy moulded handrails. Fifth flight boxed in. On first landing is earlier C19 6-panel door in elliptical-arched reveal, into S range. The range along the main road has some unmoulded beams and small C20 corner fireplace in NE room (into the big lateral chimney).  

Included as a substantial coaching inn of the C18 with earlier origins with good Georgian character, and with good surviving staircase.