History

1890 former banking premises by Wilson and Moxham of Swansea. Ornate 'Queen Anne' style in red brick with extensive tile-hanging, plain-tile roofs with red brick stacks. Two and a half storeys, slightly cambered front with big off-centre overhanging gable.

Exterior

Ground floor is almost entirely destroyed to No 26 (the former South Wales Union Bank premises) but most of narrow shopfront to right (No 24) survives with pilaster piers and curved glass shopwindow. Former elliptical arch above may survive under C20 fascia. Old photographs show a highly ornate 2-bay centre with panelled piers, elliptical arched windows and moulded frieze, probably in glazed or semi-glazed tile. To right was shopfront, much as survives, and to left was matching narrower arched doorway to bank of which nothing survives.

Upper floors have centre piece of first floor oriel window set between centre pair of 4 very ornate carved timber brackets carrying carved and painted timber frieze, then tile-hung second floor and attic, each with 2 windows, coved plaster cornice over second floor and keyed roundel in attic gable. First floor is roughcast and oriel is of late C17 vernacular type, essentially a Venetian window but with top-lights to outer lights, and all with very small panes. This same window type is repeated on second floor but smaller and flush, while attic has small-paned casement pairs each with a double-curved pediment. Apex roundel had glazing bars and floral festoon decoration originally. Gable bargeboards and metal sunflower finial. Side bays are varied, the right bay has one window each floor similar to those on second floor of centre, coved eaves, and a small-paned flat dormer in roof, while narrow left bay has 2-storey canted oriel continued up to belvedere turret with octagonal tiled roof and sunflower finial. Oriel has small-paned windows with top-lights to 2 main floors, tile-hanging, and turret has arch-headed small-paned windows to 3 sides, moulded timber cornice and bell-cast steep tiled roof.

Reasons for Listing

Included despite damaged ground floor as unusual and fine example of 'Queen Anne' style.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29490244

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

• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)