History

Late Victorian terrace, probably built in two phases c.1890, doubtless as a speculative development. It is not shown in the first edition OS map (1888), though is present on the second edition of 1901 (surveyed 1899). The terrace reflects a new degree of prosperity and optimism brought to Bala, and other rural market towns, by the arrival of the railway in the third quarter of the C19; indeed, the materials chiefly employed in the construction of the terrace, engineering and stock bricks, were clearly brought in by rail. This terrace provides a good illustration of the shift, in the second half of the C19, from an indigenous vernacular building tradition, dependent almost exclusively upon local materials, to a more homogenised, geographically non-specific speculative architecture of standardised materials and design.

Exterior

Belongs to a group of nos 4-20 Ffrydan Road (even).

Three-storey terrace of 9 late Victorian townhouses; of dark grey engineering, and yellow stock brick construction, with yellow, grey and red brick detailing and a continuous slate roof with tiled ridge; 5 chimneys, all with pots, that to the far L (no 6) rendered. The terrace is in two distinct stylistic parts: the left half (nos 4-12) has a facade of engineering bricks, with stock and red brick detailing to windows and in the form of decorative banding; the right-hand part (nos 14-20) is of yellow stock brick with more simplified detailing in engineering brick. The left half has two reflected pairs of units with an extra unit (no 12) on the end at the R. Each unit is of 2 bays, with its entrance paired with its neighbour (except the end one), and has a full-height canted bay window with simple decorative applied timber framing; cusped bargeboards and decorative wooden finials to shallow gables; plain Victorian cross-windows, modern replacements to no 12. Nos 4 and 6 (L) have narrow round-arched entrances with 4-panel doors and plain overlights; decorative arched niche to blind first floor above. The remaining entrances are broader and have segmental heads; these have 4-panel doors with narrow flanking glazed panels and plain overlights.

The right-hand part of the terrace consists of two reflected pairs with paired central and outer entrances; all except no 18 (centre R) have narrow segmentally-arched openings with 4-panel doors and plain overlights; no 18 has a broader segmentally-arched entrance with tripartite door and glazed panel arrangement as before. Each unit has a 2-storey canted bay with slated middle and roof (though the latter to nos 14 and 16 (L) have been renewed (in lead ?); plain Victorian 4-pane sashes throughout.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as part of an imposing late Victorian terrace retaining well preserved original character; a good example of a type of speculative development made possible by the arrival of the railway.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29502884

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.

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