History
Early C19 commercial premises, reported to be the former offices of the Aberllefeni Slate & Slab Quarry Company. The quarry is recorded has having its office in Machynlleth in 1853 when it was advertised for sale with particulars available from ‘Mr David Jones, Penrallt Street, Machynlleth or Messers Delmar & Wynned, 46 Lincoln’s Inn-Fields London’. David Jones was the quarry agent. The quarry and mill workings at Aberllefenni were an important producer of slate in N Wales and underwent expansion and development from c1860 into the 1880s. According to one of the former quarry directors the office on Penrallt Street continued in use until 1962. The shopfront on Penrallt Street is unequally divided with an off-centre door, the single bay to the right is said to have been the offices of the slate quarry. This unusual layout suggests that it was built for the purpose of combining a commercial shop and offices in one building. The shop was formerly an ironmongers, and at the time of inspection it was a clothing store.
At the rear of the property is an early C19 hearse house, originally with attached accommodation, built as a single ancillary building to the church, but subdivided in c2002.
Exterior
The property comprises a substantial commercial building fronting onto Heol Penrallt. A separate range parallel to Aberllefenni House and linked to it by modern extensions is not of special interest.
Aberllefenni House is a commercial building facing on to Heol Penrallt with ground floor combined shop and office display front. 3-storey 3-bay with further single bay set back to right all under the same roof which has deeply overhanging bracketed eaves. Roughcast with slate roof. Upper floors façade has replacement uPVC large pane sash style windows with plain projecting cills. Fine ground floor display front with full width bracketed cornice over an offset door to the right, single window to right and 3 windows to left. 6-panel door set back in panelled recess, overlight stencilled “Aberllefenni House”. Windows with raised stall risers and cills. Door and windows separated by engaged Tuscan style columns, paired at either end. Cast-iron spear-head railings on dwarf wall, with urn finials to gate posts at centre and right-hand side (gates missing) enclose small courtyard to front. (Modern) shop sign above display front to left. Single bay in left return in angle with adjoining building, attic window. Right-hand gable has small-pane replaced sash to attic. Set back narrow single bay has entrance to upper storey accommodation with replacement door to ground floor, replacement windows in upper storeys. Two further windows in second storey and attic in gable return.
Two storey, single bay hearse house at rear, opening onto Church Place. Rubble walls, roughcast, under slate roof. Ground floor, double boarded hearse-house doors with wrought iron fittings, horizontal lintel directly under boarded door on first storey.
Interior
Interior of Aberllefenni House not inspected but retains shutter linings to ground floor shop windows and is reported to have utilised slate for fittings throughout.
Hearse-house not inspected but known to have blocked doors to left on ground and first floor, formerly to adjoining accommodation.
Reasons for Listing
Aberllefenni House is included for its special architectural interest as an important surviving example of an early C19 commercial building retaining its fine original shop and office front. It is also of special historic interest for its direct connection with the Aberllefenni Slate & Slab Quarry Company, an important producer of slate and an integral part of the slate industry in N Wales.
The hearse house is included for special architectural interest as a well-preserved example of a scarce building type, retaining good vernacular character; and historic interest for its early date.
External Links
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 Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)