2, Emlyn Square

No. 2 Emlyn Square is a house built in 1846 for the Great Western Railway Company as part of a village designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to accommodate the workforce for the new railway works. Brunel's layout for the village, which began construction in 1842, featured a grid of twelve terraces in six blocks along the High Street, now known as Emlyn Square. While Brunel designed the first block in 1842, which is more decorative due to its visibility from the railway line, the majority of the cottages were built by contractors JD & C Rigby, who faced financial difficulties that delayed completion until the 1850s.

The cottages on the west side of Emlyn Square were constructed first between 1842 and 1843, followed by those on the east side from 1845 to 1847. The end blocks containing corner shops were built during the same period, while the remaining blocks were completed between 1853 and 1855. In 1966, the local authority acquired the cottages from British Rail and restored them. This village is noted for being one of Britain’s best-preserved and architecturally ambitious railway settlements.

The house itself is made of ashlar limestone and features a slate roof. It is two storeys high with three bays. The central entrance has a four-panelled door that is half-glazed. The casement windows have top hung lights and are set within chamfered ashlar surrounds, with label moulding above the openings on the ground floor.