History

Frogmore Street developed as a medieval suburb outside of the early walled town of Abergavenny and is likely to have been fully developed with buildings forming the street frontages by the C17.

No 51 is a building of C17 origins, with some timber framing surviving internally on the first floor. It was altered during the C18 and early C19 and again during the C20. It appears in footprint form on the 1844 Tithe Map and is shown as a public house largely in its current external plan form on the 1881 1st edition Ordnance Survey map. The building is now much as per C19 tithe map footprint, with C20 rear service wing.

At some point, probably during the late C18 or early C19 (possibly 1807 – dated roof structure) it was remodelled with a symmetrical façade with plain render, the typical architectural treatment of this period. Photographs from the early C20 show a 3 storey 2 bay building with plain render to the front street facade, projecting cills, second floor cill band and plinth course (the term bay is used in this context to describe the number of windows the building is wide). The windows were ordered so that those to the ground and first floors were taller than those on the second floor.

During the later C20 the exterior was again altered: channelled stucco was added to the ground floor. A door hood was also added, and the windows enlarged. The render to the upper floors was also probably replaced. At this point the upper floor windows were also probably replaced (based on the existing), the signage was changed and the interior altered.

When inspected in April 2017 the interior had been partially stripped of wall and floor finishes revealing on the first floor front evidence of the C17 timber framing. The infill between the framing and the window positions is probably later and part of the remodelling of the building in the C18/C19 with the framing cut and altered to allow a symmetrical 2 bay façade.

Exterior

The building is wholly rendered and painted, with a slate roof and red brick stacks. L-shaped plan with main range to street and rear service wing. Three storeys, two windows. The ground floor has horizontal banding in the render, central door with small hood on brackets, wide window to either side. Plain rendered quoins and eaves cornice to upper floors. The first floor has 8 over 8 pane sashes, the second floor has 4 over 8 pane ones. Plain roof with gable stacks. The right return has small later windows to the ground and first floors in the gable end and a door with two windows and two more windows above in the rear wing. Small blind gable in roof.

Interior

Inspected in June 2017 but partially stripped during refurbishment works. The main exterior (Frogmore Street) wall on the first floor retains vertical posts and wall plate of close stud timber framing, cut through by the insertion of the present window openings. First and second floor structures in the left hand bay likely to be of late C18/early C19. Re-used C17 door to the first floor landing. Roof structure dated 1807.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as a building of pre-1700 origins, retaining some C18 and C19 materials, important historically as surviving evidence of the development of Abergavenny during the post medieval period. It is also important for retaining historic character in its façade and has strong group value with other historic buildings in the centre of Abergavenny.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29507413

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

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  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)