History

Part of a development at the entrance of the town by William Owen including the New Bridge and two terraces facing each other, now Nos 1 to 17 Victoria Place, completed in 1839. Part of the terrace, especially the eastern end, may date from before then. (See early C19 prints). The town improvements began as a result of a special Act of Parliament of 1835, but the terraces were named in commemoration of the accession of Queen Victoria in June 1837. The N terrace is plainer than that on the S which is of 19 bays with giant pilasters framing narrow alternate bays with arched doorways. Houses are mostly two-bay with narrow entrance bay to right, but No 1 differs, with canted corner to Quay St.
No 7, Lloyds Bank, was much altered in 1893 by D.E. Thomas, formerly it seems to have been two houses. A plaque records that the left house of No 7 is the birthplace of the painter Gwen John born 1876 and her home with her brother Augustus John born 1878, until 1884. They were children of Edwin John, solicitor. Another (erroneous) plaque records Augustus' birth at No 5. The manager of Lloyds Bank lived above the premises.

Exterior

Former pair of terraced houses, now bank. Painted stucco, with slate mansard roofs behind parapet and large red brick corniced ridge stacks. Three storeys, four-bay main front originally of two houses each with a narrow entrance bay to right framed by giant pilasters. This survives in second bay but in fourth bay the right pilaster has been removed. The pilaster at the left end is the right pilaster of the entrance bay of No 9. Pilasters have moulded caps, and moulded bases above ground floor (originally pilasters continued to ground). Entablature over with deep frieze and cornice, broken forward over second bay and over left pilaster and broad pilaster in fourth bay. Cornice and frieze slightly enriched in 1893. Low parapet broken for large stucco dormers of 1893 with paired sash windows, scrolled sides and stucco coped gables. Windows are sashes with narrow marginal panes: narrower to the two entrance bays, and the one over the main bank entry, in the second bay shortened for the curved pediment below. The 1893 work included adding moulded shouldered surrounds to all the upper windows and a broad band between upper floors, made up of a moulded second floor sill course, and a moulded entablature above the first floor with cornice broken forward over each window. Raised apron panels link the windows vertically.
Ground floor is wholly of 1893 retaining the two arched entries. Channelled rustication with moulded cornice broken forward over pier at left, over main entry in narrow second bay, and over thick pier between third and fourth bays. The left three bays are near symmetrical about the main door, with the fourth bay separate, containing the access to the upper floors. Main part has three windows to each side of the main entry, a broad centre and narrower side windows, with late C19 sash windows of plate glass, with marginal bars to the upper sashes. Square heads with radiating voussoirs and raised keystones, the centre left window is wider than the centre right one. Moulded plinth. Main entry has channelled piers, moulded impost band under a pair of long consoles each side supporting entablature with cornice and broad curved pediment. Piers and consoles frame a square headed recess with moulded-arched doorway, wrought iron tracery in front of plain fanlight, and impost band continued across over panelled door. In the fourth bay, to right, rusticated surround with moulded caps and vermiculated keystone to recessed arch framing doorway with moulded impost course under similar fanlight. C20 panelled doors with glass panels.

Interior

Ground floor wholly altered in late C20, but within the right door is an original staircase with the lowest flight altered in 1893 with lyre shaped cast-iron balusters and ornate iron newel. Upper flights with continuous rail, square balusters and scrolled tread ends.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as part of a good classical stuccoed terrace, Nos 1-17 Victoria Place.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29507616

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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