12, 12A, 13 and 13A, Emlyn Square

These houses, a surgery, and flats at 12, 12A, 13, and 13A Emlyn Square were built between 1853 and 1854 for the Great Western Railway Company as part of a village designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to house workers for the new railway works. Construction of the village began in 1842 and was completed by the 1850s.

The buildings are of limestone ashlar construction with black mortar, and have brick rear walls. They are two storeys and nine bays wide, with a low plinth. The main entrances are in the third and seventh bays, each with a chamfered surround and a straight, bracketed hood. A rear entrance is located in the fifth bay, with a pointed, segmental, chamfered head. The windows have chamfered stone surrounds with four-pane sashes dating to the 20th century. Shouldered gables are present above the first and ninth bays. Gabled returns are visible on Taunton Street and Exeter Street.