History

Sometime after 1241 a circuit of stone walls was built around the medieval town, in response to political instability and civil strife. The lines of the walls and the sites of four large protected gateways are well understood, and Laburnum Cottage is inside the site of the former East Gate.

Constructed early-mid C19, a building is shown on the site of Laburnum Cottage on John Wood’s 1834 plan of the town, built against the outer face of the town wall, possibly with an alleyway in between (marked now by the wide left hand entrance bay to the house). It was extended into the current building at some point c1840 which is shown largely as surviving on the town plan of 1881. Further buildings are shown attached to the rear on this plan but these have since been replaced by a later 2 storey extension to the main house.

The 1881 plan also shows the line of the Town Wall (‘Remains of’) forming the W side of Laburnum Cottage with other buildings constructed on the inner E face of the wall. It is believed that the left-hand gable of Laburnum Cottage, the forecourt wall and rear garden wall are built on the line of, and retain historic fabric of, this medieval town wall.

Exterior

House in a picturesque style, roughcast brick and stone with sandstone dressings, slate roof and roughcast gable stacks. 2-storey, 2-bay frontage to Monk Street with further 3-bay and single bay continuous rear wing. Monk Street façade with leaded timber windows those to the first floor with vermiculated keystones. Main double projecting bay with double window with low balcony on deep console brackets to the first floor, tripartite window to the ground floor with pedimented surround on stylised brackets and with ‘LABURNUM COTTAGE’ carved into the frieze (this is a replica – the original was noted at inspection in the rear garden). Entrance bay to left with single window above projecting porch with segmental arch with bearded male head carved on the keystone, quoin stones, cappings, and male head spout. Heavy timber door, coloured glass set in narrow slit window in right return. Projecting forecourt wall to left is on the line of the medieval town wall and may incorporate masonry from it. Right return central projecting chimney stack, timber casement to ground floor left with bracketed hood. 12-pane Yorkshire sliding sash to right on first floor. Slim cills to both windows. Earlier part steps down to rear, 2-storey and 3-bays, left hand bay in line with the frontage gable, other 2 set back. Sliding sashes as before to the first floor, small window to left, central glazed door under canopy with wide 16-pane double hung sash to right. Later extension with modern windows. Left return (to car park) plain with buttressing of both early parts. Garden wall to rear (on left) is on the line of the medieval town walls and appears to incorporate masonry from it.

Interior

Subject to recent renovation works at time of inspection in early 2021. Surviving historic fabric and some detail throughout. Single room width and three rooms deep over two floors. Entrance on left leads into long hallway, exposed historic fabric to left, possibly relating to former town wall, with arched recess cut into the wall and later archway part-way down hall with panelled pilasters and composite capitals. Door adjacent on right to front room, chimney breast survives with arched recesses either side (right with window). At end of hallway single flight dog leg stair with turned newels, handrail and plain square section balusters, bathroom inserted under. Room to rear with further recess on the left with moulded pilasters and arch. Large stone fireplace in rear wall, 16-pane sash and glazed door. Doorway at rear left leads into later rear extension (now kitchen) of little interest except for remnant timbers in the internal dividing wall and visible stonework to left. First floor with WC on half landing and door to bedroom. Passageway at end of landing alongside wall to bedroom in rear extension, further 5-step flight of stairs up to front room, with cast iron fireplace with corbelled surround. 4-panelled doors with architraves, skirtings and cornices survive throughout.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special architectural interest as a well preserved early-mid C19 house and listed at grade II* as it is believed to be built on the line of and retain fabric of the medieval town wall of Abergavenny.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)