2A-2E, Emlyn Square

Nos. 2A-2E Emlyn Square is a house, now divided into flats, built in 1846 for the Great Western Railway Company. This corner block features a return to Oxford Street and is constructed of ashlar limestone with a slate roof. The building is two storeys high and has three bays. The central entrance consists of a four-panelled door that is half-glazed. The casement windows, which have top long lights, are set within chamfered ashlar surrounds, and the ground floor openings feature label moulding. Each gable has a keyed oculus. The design is similar to No. 1 Emlyn Square.

The development of Emlyn Square was part of a larger plan by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to create a village for the workforce of the new Great Western Railway works. Construction began in 1842, with most buildings completed by 1855. The area is recognized as one of Britain’s best-preserved and architecturally significant railway settlements.