History

This building has its origins as an early C16 town house; remodelled c.1700 and later refronted; further alterations in at least two periods in C19. The building was formerly the Labour in Vain PH and later in the C18 it was known as Somerset House (owned by Duke of Beaufort). Before 1835 (John Wood's Map of 1835) it became used as the Judges' Lodging for the Monmouth Assizes and then in the 1870s the building was used as an officer's mess by the local militia, becoming a private house again afterwards. The left hand end by this time became a coach-builder's workshop (first Hodges and then in, 1867, John Morgan) and in 1926 the whole building was taken over as a repair garage-an early Welsh example. In c2000 it was reconverted to domestic use as a part of the St. James's Mews development and divided into two properties.

Exterior

Stone built, then scribed rendered and Welsh slate roofed. Street elevation comprises 1-window, 2-storey and attic, gable-ended, bay forward to left and a symmetrical, 1 1 3 1-window, 2-storey range to right with hipped roofs over the advanced wings. Small-pane sash glazing, much of it restored; the main first floor windows are tripartite; 12-pane sash to centre over probable position of original main entrance; gabled bay has 6 over 6-pane sash to attic and paired 12-pane sashes below, the ground floor is a restoration from the previous garage doors. The ground floor of the whole building was altered in conversion to a garage in 1926, with the addition of a showroom forward to the street and the insertion of high, service bay, doors at either end; this has all now been restored to domestic appearance. Four-bay timber verandah across the recessed centre with classical frieze and cornice; beneath this is a similar tripartite window and an angled panelled door entrance squeezed into the corner beside the advanced right hand wing. Forecourt railings retained here with ball finials to square piers. Right hand advanced wing has garage doors below, leading through to the rest of St. James' Mews behind, tripartite sash above. Bracket cornice and parapet and high kneelers to the gable at left; roughcast brick chimney stacks in recently reslated roof.
Cement rendered and painted rear elevation with cut down chimney stack and modern replacement features (Tudor window reported in 1991 list description not seen).

Interior

Interior not seen at resurvey and the following details are taken from the 1991 list description.
Following the late Georgian remodelling the main entrance was on to a narrow central passage with reeded architraves, segmental arches and 6-panel doors. Fine interiors to right and considerably earlier roof structure overall. The ground floor to right retains panelled shutters and ceiling cornices and one room retains older fireplace surround with broach stops and carved spandrels of the type characteristics of Glamorganshire in late C16/early C17. The former garage bay to right has transverse cross beams, one with corbel. The main first floor room has an unusual, c1700, ceiling effect which has been impaired by the insertion of a partition to create an extra room; six wells in all, the outer parts of which are quatrefoils with foliated corners and the central pair has plain roundels. Large left hand room has 3-well ceiling with central rose. Five-bay roof of sufficient quality to indicate that it may have been originally had trapped purlins, especially rare in Wales but perhaps in this instance a derivative of the Midlands clasped purlin rather that a true trapped purlin. This roof is made more problematical by the reuse of timbers and the addition of strengthening ties and posts. A-frame roof to the right hand wing with massive purlins.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as a surviving C16 and later house near the Monmouth town centre.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29482845

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

• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version