7943

 

II*  

Designated  

30/03/1983  

16/12/2005  

Bronwylfa  

 

Powys  

Montgomery  

Montgomery  

 

322279  

296435  

 

Situated to right of Cullen House, the National Westminster Bank.  

Domestic  

 

Town house, c1800 remodelling of a mid C18 house. The front range may be added to an earlier C17 house set back at right angles to old market place. The front was raised a storey and large canted bays added c1800. In the basement is an inscribed hearthstone Thomas and Faith Shuker, 2nd May 1719, that may relate to this house. Owned in the later C18 by William Davies, maltster, died 1800, then his son William Nathaniel Davies, surgeon in Bishops Castle, died 1837, then by Miss Mary Davies, spinster, died 1855. She was related to Marianne Davies (died 1850) wife of the Rev. John Lloyd, vicar of Llanmerewig, and he was living here in 1861 census. Left to the historian J.D.K. Lloyd (born 1900) in 1901 will of Maurice Lloyd. A cousin Miss Bryan lived here to her death in 1921.  

Town-house in terraced row, painted brick, Flemish bond, with low-pitched slate roof with small centre gable. Square brick stacks on rear roof slope. Three storeys with cellar, three bays with centre between two broad canted full-height projections and outer raised brick quoins (shared with Cullen House to left). Moulded cornice carried around bays and up sides of small centre gable. Bays have late Georgian sash windows with thin glazing bars and gauged brick flat heads, 16-pane to main floors, square 12-pane to top floor. Narrow gabled centre has upper window at lower sill level, with triangular gauged brick head and fixed small paned glazing, triangular top over 12 panes. First floor window is smaller than those each side, possibly of earlier date, with cambered brick head, and sash window has thick glazing bars to 16 small panes. Door up stone steps with one rectangular and two semi-circular steps with iron railings swept out. Doorcase has big painted timber doorcase of Tuscan pilasters with entablature blocks framing recessed fascia, and carrying open pediment. Tall doorway has unusual timber overlight pierced to form crude radiating-petal fanlight, over fielded-panelled six-panel door. Two cambered-headed cellar openings with plain square timber mullions. Rear wall of red brick, two storeys with roof in two pitches, with two big brick chimneys at the junction.C20 large dormer. Iron small-paned cross-window to left, stuccoed lower SE rear wing to right with chimney breast. Stone setts in front.  

Central hall plan with mid-C18 staircase with big column newel, column-on-vase turned balusters, scrolled tread ends and heavy moulded handrail. Front rooms have bays of c1800 but earlier beams. NE room has fluted frieze and two plastered beams. Two small arched cupboard recesses in each canted wall of bay. Modern chimneypiece on rear wall. NW room has similar plastered beams, mid to later C18 frieze of a trumpet-like pattern in ovals, to middle beam and rearward panels of ceiling. Wide skirting board, rear wall fireplace with shouldered surround and fine c1800 iron grate. Shelf with fluted edge over fireplace. Rear SW room has chamfered and stopped beam. Narrow oak service stair. Fielded panelled 4-panel door to kitchen in rear SE wing. This has timber-framed E wall, two large beams and fireplace on N wall backing onto front room fireplace. First floor has heavy cross-axial beams on the partition walls to the two front rooms, which have fielded panelled two-panel doors. NE room also has axial beam. Narrow tall rear wall fireplaces in shouldered surrounds with shelf over. Stair up to top floor has flat balusters, tapering and pierced, of C17 type, but probably mid-C18 (cf Penygrisiau, Bishops Castle Street).  

Included at II* as a good Georgian town house with possible early origins and two main periods of construction. It retains fine exterior character and detail, and has good surviving interior detail including staircase and plasterwork.