79 Nightingale Street

79 Nightingale Street is a house in terrace, part of an important early group of industrial housing at Abercanaid built between 1852 and 1861, possibly by the Plymouth Iron Company to house workers at Abercanaid Pit and Pentrebach Forge.

The original settlement comprised 7 terraces in 4 rows facing east between the river and canal: one in River Row, two facing and two backing onto Nightingale Street, and two in Canal Row. To the north were a further three longer rows at right angles to the river and canal, known as The Squares, plus a terrace of larger houses backing onto the canal and two detached houses for higher-grade employees. Of these, the seven terraces survive (five are listed), though much altered since listing in 1975; the rear two in Canal Row remain unlisted. The northern terraces have been demolished, though one detached house, Llwynyreos, survives.

Though small, these houses are relatively generous for the era, comparable to those at the nearby Triangle, Pentrebach (now demolished), being double-fronted rather than the single-window-and-door type seen in earlier terraces such as that from Rhydycar, now at St Fagans Museum. However, they were narrow, with roof-spans of 4–5 metres and without rear outshuts, as they had roads or access paths both front and back. The original plan form was arranged around a centre passageway and rear staircase. The facades are slightly offset to allow for larger kitchen chimneys, with the offset side alternated to give mirrored pairs. Gardens in front or behind were accessed across a footpath running down the terrace line.

The house is two storeys, originally constructed of square rubble stone with close-eaved slate roof and stone end stacks. It is double-fronted with two small-paned sash windows on each floor and a centre door, probably with overlight. Stone voussoirs and stone sills mark all openings. The rear wall is also of rubble stone and originally had one small door and pantry window below on one side and one small upper window.

Since listing, the windows have been restored to 12-pane sashes with renewed sills, and the door has been renewed with overlight. A rendered stack stands to the right. Thin stucco surrounds frame the openings. The rear wall has been rendered.

Houses in this row backing onto gardens (numbers 70–81 Nightingale Street) have generally been extended to the rear; others retain their original depth. Similar houses further south in Nightingale Street appear to be of later date and are similarly much altered, though they contribute to the character of the Abercanaid settlement.