History

C18 in origin but altered in C19. At the time of listing in 1982 the two public houses were separate establishments, but they have since been incorporated into one under the name 'The Punch House'. The balcony, looking onto the main square of the town, is likely to have been used for electioneering in the C19. The public house was known as 'The Monmouth Wine and Spirit Offices' in the C19 and in 1896 was 'The Wine Vaults'.

Exterior

The building is on a corner site with the main front facing south west. Stucco fronted, with chamfered quoins and a half hipped Welsh slate roof.
Three storeys, three windows, with the windows smaller at second floor level. The ground floor has a central doorway has hood supported on brackets with a glazed modern door. This is flanked by tripartite sashes of which the left hand one is a later insertion. The right hand ground floor window and all first floor windows have keystones. Six over 6 pane sashes except for the window on left of first floor which has French doors with an overlight opening onto a balcony in iron. Name of public house in gilt letters THE PUNCH HOUSE over the first floor windows. Three over 3 pane sashes on the floor above. Roof with hip to left, stack to the right of the door and art the right on the old property division.
This elevation is continuous with what was The Bull Inn (qv No. 5) which has a slightly lower roofline.
The left return (north-west elevation) is also of stucco with quoins and three window bays, the two right hand ones being closer together. Ground floor with door to left with small hood, tripartite sash and part glazed double doors with overlight to right. Three keyed 2 over 2 pane sashes on the first floor, and two 3 over 3 above with a blind panel to the right. Public house name above first floor as before. The roof on this elevation is hipped overall with a stack between the first and second bays.

Interior

The ground floors of the two public houses have been joined and opened out so that the planning is altered and few historic features survive. There is a studded door of oak planks between the two which claims to be the door of the Town Goal 1705-1807, but its provenance is not known. Upper floors not seen.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as an C18 public house in the Monmouth town centre.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Punch House at Wikipedia
• Punch House official website
• Wikidata Q658679

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)