History

Royal House is a mid C16 town-house which combined, probably from the outset, domestic and commercial functions, with domestic accommodation between a shop facing the street and a slightly later store-house at the rear. It occupied a half-burgage plot within the late medieval town, and was built to run lengthwise down the plot. The building has been tree-ring dated, giving felling dates for timbers within the house of 1559-1561, and for the rear store-house range of 1576. Although long commercial use (the building closed as a shop in 1988) had brought a series of changes, much of the early structure and layout have, remarkably, survived. The original house was quickly extended by the addition of the store-house (referred to as ysgubor newydd in a document of 1628), and whilst the character of the shop end is mid C19, it masks elements of an earlier structure, which was itself extended towards the street with the addition of a storeyed porch, perhaps in the later C17. This section of the building has seen most modification, with a cellar inserted, and the original first floor lowered wholesale to create the most recent shop floor level.
There is good documentary evidence for the history and use of this building, with the first reference to it appearing in 1581. By 1656, it was the home of a draper, William Lloyd, who sold it in that year to Thomas Pugh, a mercer. Thereafter it was occupied by a succession of mercers until at least the early C18, and probably by a family of drapers during the C19. A currier may have occupied it at some time during the late C17.

Exterior

Rubble masonry throughout, with slate roof. Penrallt elevation is largely the mid C19 shop front, but to Garsiwn (and in the long rear elevation), much of the stonework appears to be late medieval, with a clear straight-joint separating the original dwelling from the slightly later store-house to the rear. Structural evidence for the front (shop) section lost in reconstruction. Earliest doorway appears to be that giving access to the third unit running back from the street (internally, the room below the parlour): fine voussoir head and good dressed stone. Doorway of lobby entry left of this seems inserted and uses stone of poorer quality, but there is an early window alongside it (retaining slot for the original diamond mullion). 12-pane sash window to its left. Further door towards street front also probably inserted. 3 upper windows, of which that to right is a 3-light ovolo-moulded mullion window; the others are 12-pane sashes.
Former shop has hipped roof, wide 12-pane sash windows on two levels, and door from street with overlight with marginal-glazing, then canted small-paned shop window across SE angle.
Elevational detail of store-house probably relates to later usage: 2 doorways flanking a single window, with wide inserted opening to right.

Interior

The building divides into 3 clear sections, comprising shop to the east, house at centre of the range, and former store-house to rear. Notwithstanding some subdivisions, inserted staircases etc, the main layout can still be traced. The house comprised a two-room plan, with its principle domestic accommodation (hall and parlour) on the first floor. Two chambers to ground floor divided by a substantial axial stack, against which was a (possibly secondary) entrance, giving a lobby-entry plan. At the front, the present shop floor forms a mezzanine between the principle floors of the house (achieved by lowering the original first floor, whose timbers therefore survive within this mezzanine). The original front wall line survives, within which a heavy timber lintel marks the position of the original doorway towards the north. Principle domestic rooms at first floor: open-hall has chamfered fireplace bressumer, carried on massive corbels, and post-and-panel screen running along the rear wall (this is plastered and painted on its reverse side, and though this is now abutted by wall of adjacent building, may perhaps be indicative of a lost south wing). Open truss with high collar to hall, now under-built by a dividing wall, wind-braces to roof. Eastern truss modified with formation of hipped roof over hall. Ogee doorhead between hall and parlour, though latterly onto inserted passage linking hall with room over store-house. Parlour has broad chamfered longitudinal beam and chamfered joists. Post-and-panel partitions in attic, to either side of chamber over parlour. Below the hall, the main ground floor room has broad chamfered cross beams and stop chamfered joists, and chamfered lintel to fireplace. Room beneath parlour has cobbled floor and early ceiling, with chamfered cross beam and broad joists.
Store-house range of 3 bays, with longitudinal ceiling beams; paired lateral fireplaces (perhaps relating to later industrial use) in first bay adjoining house. Lateral beam with evidence of lost partition between this and the central bay. Gable chimney in end bay. Two rooms above (though probably not the original arrangement), including one large chamber to west with 3 collar trusses - original tie-beams cut and additional collars inserted.

Reasons for Listing

Listed at grade II* as an important and securely dated late medieval town house, which has remained remarkably intact during a long history of domestic and commercial use. The building is of particular interest for combining domestic and commercial functions apparently from the outset. The arrangement of space with principle domestic accommodation at the first floor suggests a design adapted to the special requirements of a town-centre site, whilst a substantial store-house was added within a few years of the original construction. Much of the original fabric survives, and includes good quality detail.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Royal House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17741634

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)