History

With numbers 1 and 2, part of the former House of Correction, thought to date from the earlier to mid C18, but much altered in use, in the C19 and since converted into three dwellings. Manor House was from the mid C19 until 1937 the Police Station. There appears to have been a County Gaol on the Castle Terrace site from c. 1735, these buildings called the House of Correction or Bridewell appear to have been the local gaol. The two were run by the same gaoler in 1816, paid £78 for the gaol and £20 for the House of Correction. It is described in reports of 1792 and 1803 and in 1803 held two prisoners and was described as having one courtyard only, a dungeon 4m x 2.8m (13' x 9'3") down nine steps with whipping post, two middle-sized rooms with four wooden beds and loose straw. Seven people at a time had been kept in the dungeon and as many in the two rooms. Marked on 1833 map as owned by Lord Powis, and on 1839 tithe map as two properties Manor House occupied by George Weaver and Blackhall Cottages occupied by Henry Smith, which suggests that gaol use had ceased. There is a straight joint between the two ranges which suggests that Blackhall Cottages was the original. The underground cell is under the canted E end, now No 2. Manor House is set down from the street line with renewed iron hoop railings along roadside.

Exterior

House, painted brick with low-pitched slate roof and deep flat eaves and red brick N end chimney with raised bands (similar to chimneys on Blackhall Cottages). Two storeys. W front is sparsely fenestrated, all windows renewed since 1983 in uPVC, ground floor with a large sash window with stone sill, each side of a door, all with cambered heads. Four-pane sash to left (cross-window in 1983), six-pane sash to right and boarded door. First floor has one narrow 4-pane casement with cambered head over door. A C20 window over left ground floor window may be inserted. N end wall of painted rubble stone, windowless, with a raised thin stone course between floors. At rear NE corner is gatepost of green stone, rebated for gate. Rear wall of painted brick has red brick stack on external chimneybreast to left of centre. Modern windows, one to first floor left, two to centre right over modern lean-to, and modern window to right.

Interior

Interior not inspected, said to have had lock-up cells within.

Reasons for Listing

Included for historic interest as the former House of Correction, and retaining overall form of the C18-C19.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29507793

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5