14923

 

II  

Designated  

31/03/1983  

03/05/2002  

Post Office  

 

Gwynedd  

Caernarfon  

Caernarfon  

Caernarfon  

247996  

362625  

E  

Between the junctions of Castle Square with Chapel Street and Segontium Terrace.  

Communications  

 

Built in 1880 but partly adapted from an earlier building.  

Italianate style Post Office composed of 2 conjoined ranges of scribed stucco walls, of which the N range is 2-storey with attic and has a hipped slate roof with raised lantern light, while the S range is 3-storey and has a gabled slate roof. In the 2-window N range the arcaded lower storey has keyed round heads to the windows and the doorway on the L side, with an impost band. The double doors are replaced in the original opening, but its overlight and the remaining windows retain their original marginal iron glazing bars. The windows have a corbelled sill. In the upper storey the windows have stilted heads with keystones and impost and sill bands, and 2-light casements below transoms. Below the impost band is a central clock. A deep bracketed cornice is below the parapet, which is surmounted by a Royal Arms. The 2-window S range projects slightly in front of the N range. In the lower storey, on the L side, is a round-headed window with marginal iron glazing bars and corbelled sill, while on the R side is a tripartite sash window with fluted shafts and architrave. On the R side of this window is a tablet commemorating Sir William Preece (1834-1913), chief engineer to the Post Office, pioneer of wireless telegraphy and a native of Caernarfon. In the middle storey are 4-pane sash windows under keyed segmental heads with impost bands, similar to the N range, while the upper storey has plainer 4-pane sash windows and corbelled sills. The eaves are bracketed. The L-hand elevation facing Chapel Street has 5 tall segmental-headed windows incorporating hopper lights in the lower storey, beyond which the wall is aligned differently and has a smaller window, then a pair of taller windows further L. Above the tall windows are shorter segmental-headed upper-storey 4-pane sash windows, although there is no window set back from the R end. Further behind is a 4-window rear wing of snecked rock-faced stone and Bath stone dressings to 6-pane horned sash windows, and slate roof with skylights. It is single-storey, except for the L hand which has a second storey under a coped gable, with 6-pane sash window in the upper storey and a small-pane horned sash window in the side wall overlooking the roof of the remainder of the wing. The R gable end facing Segontium Terrace is pebble-dashed and has 4-pane sash windows.  

Modernised interior.  

Listed for its retention of strong late C19 commercial character and with other associated listed items for its contribution to the historic townscape and the setting of Caernarfon Castle.