19235

 

II  

Designated  

20/01/1998  

17/12/1998  

Quarryworkers Cottages at Aberclydach  

 

Powys  

Talybont-on-Usk  

Talybont  

Aberclydach  

310283  

221355  

 

On the W side of the hamlet of Aberclydach in Cwm Clydach, built into the steep S bank and almost opposite the chapel.  

Domestic  

 

Probably early C19, when the main valley road and pass through the mountains to Pontsticill appears to have been developed, most of the bridges dating from this period; this probably associated with the construction of the Brecknock and Abergavenny canal, reaching Talybont around 1800, and the need for a link between this and the industrial valleys to south. Built as a terrace of 4 quarryworkers' cottages, unmodernised and uninhabited since 1950s.  

Plan is a version of dual row industrial housing, with two cottages entered at higher level to front on top of two cottages entered at ground floor level to rear, thus creating a tall and narrow building. Built of stone rubble formerly limewashed, now with corrugated roof with centre ridge and end stack, each presumably shared by two cottages on the vertical axis. To rear are the two lower cottage doorways with planked doors flanked by windows; above are small windows to ground floor, and very small windows to the first. Fronting lane similarly, two doors flanked by windows with small first floor openings, some blocked.  

 

Listed for their exceptional interest as a scarce surviving example of unaltered rural industrial housing of early C19.