History

Clock tower building, comprising early C19 clock tower (clock was dated 1829), with low wings altered twice, the last when the top stages of the tower were altered in 1899. The wings were single storey with high parapet, as shown in the early C19 drawing by H. Gastineau. Altered to two-storey before the final raising to three in 1899. The engraving after Gastineau shows the tower with no door, the band above, then three arched windows one over the other and stone quoins. On top was a short square clock stage and then an open octagonal belfry with ogee dome on eight short columns. By the late C19 the door had been inserted, another band broken by head of a window had replaced the lowest arched light and the clock stage had been given raised stucco framing. As rebuilt in 1899, the clock stage was replaced by a section broached from square to octagonal, the clock was put in the octagonal new top stage, capped by an open cast-iron belfry with shallow dome on eight short columns. The wings as shown by Gastineau each had a central tall Tudor arched opening and the left one had a low door to left. There were high blank parapets over the band, with angle quoins. By the late C19 these wings had ground floor shop-windows, first floor windows and hipped roofs. As altered in 1899 the wings were raised a storey with first floor oriels and paired arched second floor windows.
The building appears to be on the site of the Pembroke Town Hall where Wesley preached in the C18; 'town hall' marked on a map of 1787, possibly the modest building with timber-boarded turret shown in the 1818 J.P. Neale view, though an engaving exists of a very fine C18 two storey hall, probably never built. The date of the present building is uncertain, the old Town Hall was demolished c1820, and the clock works are said to be marked 'Thwaites & Reed London 1829'.
The building is very narrow, being built against the churchyard of St Mary's church with narrow space to church S wall. The lower part is said to have been a fishmarket, and had a water-tap at the right end, served from a stone water tank behind. By the late C19 occupied by E. Matthews, baker & confectioner known as 'Bessie the Clock'.
Tower repaired by G. H. Barrett 1879. The council minutes report that the building was bought by the council in 1899, an estimate for repairs of £235 from the Borough Surveyor was received in 1899, payments made to Davies & Morgan builders in 1899 and for the clock 1900.
The lead cherubs on the tower angles are from Orielton mansion, said to be from the 1730s house, removed in the 1810 remodelling.

Exterior

Symmetrical 3-bay frontage with tall central clock tower slightly forward to the street. Painted render with painted stone quoins and grey limestone ashlar ground floor. Six-storey tower with open, circular iron bellframe supported by short iron columns with twisted shafts and florid capitals carrying shallow dome with glazed iron tracery (restored 2004). Clock stage under ashlar Gothic cornice with raised surrounds to clock-faces on 4 main sides and chamfered angles; ashlar moulding over splayed facets to fifth storey (formerly square) with 2-light ashlar louvred S opening with arched lights and Gothic column shaft under curved pediment. Two C18 lead cherubs to outer angles. Original tower has small arched windows to third and fourth stages above raised stone band broken for head of second stage window with C19 cross window with arched heads to two top panes. Finely coursed grey limestone ground floor with wide band over and narrow centre doorway with stone voussoirs. C20 glazed door.
Three storey outer wings with slate roofs, paired arched lights to second floor, over first floor splayed oriels of 2-4-2 panes, with modillion cornice and panelled apron (obscuring part of band below). Grey limestone ground floor has restored 3-light shop window close against projecting tower base. Left side has door to left, right side has low former fountain recess (formerly with stone trough), both with stone voussoirs. Left end has short return of the grey limestone, otherwise mostly stuccoed, some rubble stone to first floor left. A stone sill below second floor is below a slightly raised chimney breast (chimneys shown in old photograph). The right end has band carried around, ground floor window, similar stone sill below second floor (chimney shown in old photographs). Blocked opening, possibly former window in ground floor of E wall.

Interior

Narrow ground floor interior, modernised in late C20, staircase in left end, c. 1900.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a prominent public building of early C19 date, a prominent and distinctive element in the townscape.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485753

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

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)