7921

1  

II  

Designated  

16/04/1982  

16/12/2005  

Old Stores House and Old Market Square Cottage  

1 Arthur Street  

Powys  

Montgomery  

Montgomery  

 

322210  

296477  

 

Situated on corner of Market Place, attached to the Old Bell to right.  

Domestic  

 

Town house built in 1775 for a Mr Price Jones. Marked on 1833 map and 1839 tithe map as owned by Catherine Lloyd and John Mytton, a house and shop occupied by Thomas Bostock. Later, c. 1900, the general store of David Proctor, notable as the first professional photographer in the town. The rear wing fronted the old market place and on 1833 map had a further range running S from the W end. Since 1983 a centre door up steps has been inserted, apparently replacing the original front door lost in C19 conversion to a shop. The new doorcase matches that on Colomendy opposite. The rear wing is now called Old Market Square Cottage. There is a well in the rear courtyard which is bounded at back by a stone wall.  

House, red brick laid in Flemish bond, with slate roof and brick end stacks, the right stack larger. Two storeys and attic with high basement, three bays, on brick and stone plinth. Coved eaves cornice. Cambered headed cross-windows with iron small-paned glazing and iron opening lights, three to top floor and one to ground floor right, with brick voussoirs and thin sills. A similar window to ground floor centre replaced since 1983 by a neo-Georgian doorway up a steep flight of eight concrete steps with iron railings (imitating steps to former shop door). Door is narrow six-panel in timber surround with panelled piers and lintel, under radiating-bar fanlight under open pediment on consoles. To left is C19 former shop-window in form of a large canted timber oriel on brackets, formerly of 1-2-1 plate glass lights, now with small panes. Beneath are steps down to cambered-headed cellar entry with ledged doors. Blocked cellar opening under right window. Added lean-to to left with former shop door, up eight stone steps, the bottom ones curved, with wrought iron railings curving out at foot. Ledged door in timber doorcase with side piers, fascia and cornice on consoles. Left end wall has casement pair to attic each side of big projecting brick chimneybreast, the walling stuccoed to left, red brick to right, matching the lean-to which has a good early C19 fifteen-pane bowed shop window in red brick right end, in casing of pilasters with roundels, fascia and shelf cornice, shutter groove. Lean-to continues in stucco (rubble stone in old photographs) without windows, continuous with stuccoed rear wing, Old Market Square Cottage, with brick end stack. Double-fronted, one and a half storeys with one eaves-breaking casement pair with sloping roof to right, above a small casement pair with iron glazing bars, C20 door to centre, and C20 triple casement to left (replacing a casement pair shown in old photographs). Rubble stone W end wall with stone coping, and rubble stone rear N wall. Rear of main house has garden-wall bond brickwork, three cambered-headed cross-windows with iron opening lights above, one to ground floor left. French window to centre and hipped porch with small-paned glazing in angle to the rear wing. Stone cobbled setts in front.  

Modern main entry is into stair hall with mid C18 staircase with turned balusters of column on baluster type, moulded rail. Single flight up and similar rails to first floor landing. Ground floor has small NE room with modern chimneypiece and C19 grate found in No 1 opposite. Back NW room is kitchen, with 4-panel fielded-panelled door to centre hall. Oak plank door into S side single room, opened out presumably when in use as a shop. Oak bressumer to fireplace in former SW room. SE part has timber-lintel on iron post carrying broad opening to C19 porch. First floor has four fielded-panelled four-panel doors. Similar stair up to the attic, slightly broader, and top landing. Attic has long heavy purlins to plastered walls flanking staircase. Cellar door under first flight of stairs is broad, ledged, of stable-door type, with four big HL hinges.  

Included as a substantial mid-Georgian town house, with strong regional character in materials and detailing.