3 River Row

This is a two-storey house within a terrace, built between 1852 and 1861, likely by the Plymouth Iron Company to house workers at the Abercanaid Pit and Pentrebach Forge. It is part of an early group of industrial housing at Abercanaid, originally consisting of seven terraces facing east between the river and canal. The houses were designed to be relatively generous for the period, with a double-fronted facade, unlike earlier, narrower designs. They are characterised by narrow roof spans of 4-5 metres and a lack of rear outshuts, as access paths existed at both the front and rear.

The original plan incorporated a central passageway and a rear staircase. The houses were constructed of rubble stone with small-paned sash windows, slate roofs, and stone chimneys, featuring stone voussoirs to the openings on both floors. The facades are slightly offset, alternating sides to create mirrored pairs and accommodate larger kitchen chimneys. Originally, front and rear gardens were accessed via a footpath running along the terrace.

Number 3 River Row has been altered, with C20 (20th century) windows and a door, thin stucco surrounds to the openings, and a C20 addition to the ground floor centre and right, finished with concrete tiles. The rear wall is of rubble stone with a door and small upper window, and a large C20 window has been inserted to the left of the door. In 1975, the front still featured sash windows and a flush-panelled door with an overlight. The houses backing onto gardens (Nos. 70-81 Nightingale Street) have generally been extended to the rear, although other properties retain their original depth.