History

The building is dated 1913 and is built upon the site of an earlier inn. First edition OS map 1877 shows an extensive early industrial settlement along this stretch of the Rhondda, part of the medieval parish of Ystradyfodwg, centred on the church of St John in the area now called Ton Pentre. Penrhys on the mountain top to N was an important site of medieval pilgrimage and that mountain road represents the only major crossing between Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach. Thus the site at the junction of the two roads is of historical significance and supports the inn's claim to be the oldest in the Rhondda. In a travelogue of 1847 by Cliffe it is describe as an ancient place and the only hotel in the valley. Handball court, quoits pitch, cockpit and stables formerly adjacent.The present building was erected in 1913 around the old inn which was afterwards demolished with no break in service. Known as The Star Hotel Gellidawel, Gellidawel being the name of the small area of early settlement to E, and Gelligaled, the main thoroughfare to N, taken from the name of the stream.
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Exterior

Edwardian Baroque style. Building is mostly rendered with rough cast, partly red brick, with stone and brick dressings and a Welsh slate roof with ridge and gable stacks. It has two storeys and is asymmetrical with main entrance and frontage to junction and second entrance on main Rhondda thoroughfare. Very decorative gabled end entrance bay breaks forward; banded brick and stone pilasters with decorative extended stone capitals and dentil moulded cornice give pediment treatment enriched by stone and brick decoration and a terracotta star and date. At first floor level is a central multipane window, the stone architrave of which has volutes to the jambs and blind semicircular head with keystone. Ground floor has an imposing semicircular brick entrance bay with stone balustraded parapet and large central inscription section; the original door now blocked is flanked by Ionic capitals with two side windows. The long frontage to Tyntyla Road comprises a 2 window range gable end facade and a longer recessed bay, both of contrasting render, brick and stone. The former is dominated by a wide central brick flue with attached stone mouldings rising to a corniced chimney; stone and brick pilasters as on main frontage; first floor windows with multipane upper sections have semi-circular heads emphasised by brick hoodmoulds, and long ground floor windows, now partly blocked, which have deep decorative pedimented stone surrounds. The latter has a porch with paired columns on brick plinth walls parallel to the gable end and the long elevation is similarly dominated by a central brick panel with a decorative stone inscription, a narrow horned 6/6 pane sash window at 1st floor level and a heavy decorative cornice rising above the eaves; some other multipane windows and prominent stone mullions; the roof is hipped to right and the wall terminates in a matching stone and brick pilaster.

Interior

Original axis was on a central passage from main entrance but interior has been replanned and refurbished.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for the special interest of the exterior design of this prominently sited and historically significant inn, the best surviving example in the Rhondda.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29495779

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)