2292

56  

II*  

Designated  

27/06/1952  

10/08/2005  

NOS.56 & 58 MONNOW STREET,,,,,GWENT,  

56 Monnow Street  

Monmouthshire  

Monmouth  

Monmouth  

Monmouth  

350640  

212689  

SE  

On Monmouth's principal commercial street which leads out of the town square going south-west to Monnow Bridge.  

Domestic  

 

Cornwall House occupies the site of three burgage plots which had already been combined by the C16 when an inn stood here. By 1678 a building called Great House stood here. The agent of the Duke of Beaufort, Henry Burgh, rebuilt the house in 1752, and the brick front facing Chippenham is probably of this date. At the turn of the C18 and C19, a rear block was remodelled as the house was "turned round" to face Monnow Street. This block incorporates or re-uses earlier C18 material including windows with thick glazing bars. The house was divided into two around 1860, and the top storey of the Monnow Street front may date from then. No.56 is now the offices of the Monmouth Beacon.  

 

The interior has been altered in its conversion to newspaper offices but it retains some early C19 joinery, 6-panel doors and a open well stair with closed string, turned balusters and mahogany handrail. This could be the secondary staircase from the old house stripped out and replaced with new detail but to the same design type. There is an Adam style fireplace with fluted Corinthian half columns in the main ground floor room and two others (not seen) are reported. Upper rooms largely featureless but heavy principal rafter roof visible in part.  

Included and highly graded for its special interest as as one of the finest individual houses in the Monmouth town centre.