History

Mid C18 detached 3-storey town house known as Prospect House, remodelled in Edwardian style in 1903 for David Jones & Co bank, the former Bank of the Black Ox, founded in Llandovery by David Jones in 1799. The deeds state that the house had been known as Castell yr Esgob, possibly relating back to a medieval bishop's lodging.
Bought in 1788 from William Price by John Evans, sold in 1796 to Thomas Bishop, attorney, and mortgaged to G P Watkins in 1830, whose descendant Col J L V Watkins of Pennoyre sold it in 1864 to W J Evans solicitor, whose family owned it until 1920. The house was tenanted through the C19: by Daniel Thomas in 1810, D Bowen 1841, Dr G Williams 1860, and Llandovery College in 1890s, but the Evans family having inherited the Jones family bank, remodelled it as the bank office 1903. The bank had been in Stone Street by the King's Head 1799-1848, and at 19 Market Square 1848-1903. Merged with Lloyds Bank in 1909, which bought the premises in 1920.

Exterior

Mid C18 free-standing symmetrical house on a large scale, altered c1903. Three bays, 3 storeys with slate gabled roof and red brick chimney stacks to left and right. Timber modillion eaves cornice with egg and dart band, probably early C20. Painted roughcast facade, and stucco window surrounds painted similar colour to the sandstone centrepiece. Twelve-pane horned sash windows to upper floors (square to 2nd floor) in shouldered early C20 surrounds, with 3 sunburst keys to left and right windows on 1st floor. Four-light early C20 stone-mullioned windows to ground floor recessed in similar shouldered surrounds, but with moulded cornices over. Two-storey early C20 centrpiece encloses centre door and window above in elaborate Anglo-Baroque style, the ground floor channel-rusticated with paired applied columns each side of arched door and the narrower first floor and ornate open pedimented architrave on 2 columns. The columns are of pink sandstone on panelled pedestals with carved capitals, Ionic to smaller first floor collumns, Roman Doric to larger ground floor pairs. Top aedicule frames a window with shouldered architrave with big triple keystone and relief carving either side under the open pediment. Pediment columns are set against scrolled piers with further scroll each side of pedestals. Ground floor has cornice broken forward over the paired columns and over heavy carved keystone. Cornice has pulvinated frieze with inscription. Arched doorway with deeply-recessed, probably original, door of 6 moulded and fielded panels and fanlight with radiating glazing bars. Early C20 brass door fittings. Semi-circular paving of flagstones before entrance.
Rear of rubble stone has 2-storey lean-to inset from left end, with E end first floor 12-pane hornless sash and added C20 lean-to in angle against E end. Rear has lower 2-storey rear wing running N with brick dressings to openings including a broad coach entry.

Interior

Interior altered in early C20 and in late C20. Glazing in inner door surround. Relief portrait of David Jones in plaster on wall. Bank premises all later C20. Staircase to first floor disused, but stairs rise to 2nd floor, with curving handrail, but the rest boxed in. Upper floors now accessed via rear cast iron steps up to 1st floor. One original internal door remains (to toilet). Broad early C20 openings between first floor rooms with panelled wooden folding doors and panelled reveals to segmental arched openings. Some plain cornice moulding to second floor but otherwise plasterwork and chimneypieces have gone.

Reasons for Listing

Included as substantial C18 town house with ornate Edwardian alterations for the bank.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29489535

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)