7120

38  

II  

Designated  

16/12/1976  

04/11/2005  

Shop, including former Theatre to rear  

38 The Watton  

Powys  

Brecon  

Brecon  

 

304640  

228396  

 

Facing junction with Free Street.  

Commercial  

 

The former theatre has early C19 external details. The entrance to the theatre from The Watton was through No.38, formerly the New Inn. The stage, which has been removed, was formerly at the NE end of the theatre. See late C18 newspaper advertisements referring to theatre productions and to a new theatre at Brecon.  

No.38 has mid-to-late C19 facade to The Watton of three storeys, three windowss with rendered walls. Slate roof, end brick chimneys; projecting eaves. End pilasters with capitals. Dressed stone plinth. 4-pane sash windows without glazing bars in openings with moulded architraves and plain sills on both second and first floors. On ground floor, to left, C19 style shopfront with half-glazed door to L, and window to R both enclosed by pilasters, fascia, brackets, and cornice which runs also across centre doorway with similar treatment; half-glazed panelled door, curved headed fanlight. Similar treatment also to smaller shopfront in right hand bay. Lower rear wing of stone rubble of three storeys, two bays. The former theatre is built against this rear wing. Tall one-storey building with stone walls and slate hipped roof. North-west facade with four tall sash windows with glazing bars with blocked doorway at NE end.  

Former theatre has late C19 roof structure, perhaps contemporary with former mill to rear (1894). Stage removed, and much of theatre area cased in plasterboard or plywood. Few if any details believed to exist.  

Extremely rare survival of early C19 theatre behind building with good mid C19 character. Group Value with adjacent listed buildings in The Watton.