4 Nightingale Street

Four Nightingale Street is 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 the Abercanaid Pit and Pentrebach Forge.

The original settlement comprised seven terraces arranged in four rows facing east between the river and canal: one in River Row, two facing and two backing onto Nightingale Street, two in Canal Row, and then to the north 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. All seven terraces survive, though five are listed and much altered since listing in 1975; the rear two terraces in Canal Row remain unlisted. The northern terraces have been demolished, as has one of the detached houses, though Llwynyreos survives.

Though small, the houses are relatively generous for the era, similar to those at the nearby Triangle in Pentrebach (now demolished), being double-fronted rather than the single-window-and-door type seen in earlier examples at Rhydycar, now displayed at St Fagans Museum. The houses are narrow, with roof-spans of 4–5 metres and no rear outshuts, as they had roads or access paths both back and front. Originally they were arranged around a centre passageway and rear staircase. The facades are slightly offset to allow for larger kitchen chimneys, the offset alternating between adjacent pairs to create a mirrored effect. Gardens in front or behind were accessed across a footpath running down the terrace line. Houses backing onto gardens, such as numbers 70–81 Nightingale Street, have generally been extended to the rear, while others retain their original depth.

Number 4 is a two-storey terraced house originally constructed of square rubble stone with close-eaved slate roof and stone end stacks. It is double-fronted with small-paned sash windows, two on each floor, and a centre door probably with an overlight. Stone voussoirs ornament openings on both floors, with stone sills throughout. The rear walls are also of rubble stone and originally featured one small door and pantry window below on one side and one small upper window. The house has been significantly altered with 20th-century uPVC windows and door. The rear wall to Nightingale Street now has a low door and tiny window to the right, an upper window to the left, and an inserted window to the right. The building was not inspected during listing.