18812

 

II  

Designated  

28/08/1997  

28/08/1997  

Glantorfaen House  

 

Torfaen  

Pontymoile  

Pontypool  

Pontypool  

328209  

200858  

 

In Pontypool town centre at the junction of Commercial Street and Glentorvaen Road.  

Commercial  

 

A Victorian office block or business premises built in 1860-1870 with characteristic Ruskinian Gothic details on the porch which date it to post the publication of 'The Stones of Venice' in 1851-3. Of some historic interest as the long time headquarters of Pontypool Urban District Council (1894-1974), and possibly of the Pontypool Local Board before that.  

A large square three storey and basement block of squared grey rock faced coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and squared pink limestone rubble on the return elevation. The front elevation is five windows wide, segmental heads with keystones on the ground floor, segmental plain heads on the first floor and smaller, with square heads on the top floor. All windows have dressed surrounds,and are modern replacement ones with one over one panes, the lower of which hinges outwards. Central recessed doorway with panelled door, dressed surround with segmental head, and fanlight over. The central first floor window is an oriel with Venetian window and sidelights. The Venetian window has a keyed head and roundels on either side. Tented lead roof to oriel. Plat band at first floor level. Eaves cornice, roof not visible from street. Side elevation to Glentorvaen Road has an extravagantly detailed projecting porch placed centrally. This has square piers with horizontal rustication, stiff-leaf caps and rising into panelled blocks above; and an arched entrance supported by paired Ruskinian Gothic stiff-leaf colonnettes in polished red granite. The arch has panelled squinches with roundels, cornice on paired brackets above. The sides are treated similarly with arch headed windows. The door is flanked by one over one sash windows. The plat band is returned above the porch forming a cill band for a single tall stair window in three panes, one above another, segmental head. Cornice, central dormer window above with segmental roof.  

Interior not inspected at time of resurvey (October 1996).  

Included for the special interest of the porch and for group value with neighbouring listed buildings in Commercial Street and Hanbury Road.