History

Cornhill is the group of buildings around the original Porthmadog harbour (Cornhill Wharf), which was built 1821-4. It became the commercial centre of the port and in 1833 Samuel Lewis noted that 'many good houses have been built, and a considerable trade is now carried on'. Buildings in Cornhill included houses, shops, bank, offices and workshops. In 1886 there were sail makers, 2 block and spar makers, 2 public houses, 4 grocers, butcher, ironmonger and a shipsmith. In addition, the Bwlch-y-Slate Quarry Co, Carnarvonshire & Merionethshire Steamship Co, Workmen's Benefit Building Society, Davies Brothers Slate Merchants, Parry & Co and Prichard Brothers ship brokers all had offices in Cornhill.

Nos 2-5 Cornhill were built in the 2nd quarter of the C19 and are shown on the 1842 Tithe map, 1871 Tremadog estate plan and the 1885 harbour survey. The R-hand (No 5) was a commercial building, although it is likely that each premises originally combined domestic and commercial use.

Exterior

Belongs to a group of 2-5 Pencei (Cornhill).

A 4-storey 4-bay block of large blocks of slate-stone laid in regular courses, slate roof, ridge stack to the L of centre and to the L-hand ridge. The front has unequal outer gabled bays (Nos 2 and 5). The L-hand (No 2) has replacement windows, larger in the lower storey, and the entrance offset to the R with half-glazed door and side panel, replacing a larger original door. No 3 has a replacement half-glazed door and overlight on the R side, and 2-pane sash window to its L. The 2nd storey has a replacement window but 3rd and 4th storeys retain earlier 2-pane sash windows. No 4 has a panel door and overlight, with 16-pane hornless sash window to its L. The 2nd and 3rd storeys have similar windows and the 4th storey a shorter 12-pane sash window. No 5, under the R-hand gable, has a half-glazed panel door with 2-light small-pane window to its L. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th storeys all have 18-pane sash windows in former loading doors, with a pulley block over the upper-storey window.

The R end wall (No 5) retains the shadow of a former 1-storey gabled building, and replacement 2-light windows in 2nd, 3rd and 4th storeys. The 2-window L end (No 2) has replacement windows and a lean-to with blocked window facing the front. At the L end is a garage with double doors under a steel lintel.

Interior

Not inspected.

Reasons for Listing

Listed, notwithstanding window replacement, for its special architectural interest as part of a prominent harbour-side building of definite regional character, notable for its strong overall design and distinctive use of local stone, and for its contribution to the historical integrity of Porthmadog harbour. One of a number of specialist buildings which served the needs of the C19 port.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29484091

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

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)