5 Nightingale Street

5 Nightingale Street is a house in a 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 the Abercanaid Pit and Pentrebach Forge.

The original development 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 stood 3 longer rows at right angles to river and canal, known as The Squares, a terrace of larger houses backing onto the canal, and two detached houses for higher grades of employees. All 7 original terraces survive, with 5 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 their 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. However, they were narrow with roof-spans of 4–5 metres and had no rear outshuts, as roads or access paths ran both back and front. The original plan form was arranged around a centre passageway and rear staircase. As built, the houses were of rubble stone with small-paned sashes, slate roofs, and stone chimneys with stone voussoirs to openings on both floors. 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. Houses backing onto gardens (Nos 70–81 Nightingale Street) have generally been extended to the rear; others retain their original depth.

Number 5 is a 2-storey double-fronted house originally of square rubble stone with close-eaved slate roof and stone end stacks. The front originally had 2 small-paned sash windows on each floor and a centre door probably with overlight, stone voussoirs to openings and stone sills. The rear wall of rubble stone originally had one small door and pantry window below to one side and one small upper window. The house has since received 20th-century timber windows with small panes and a 20th-century door with overlight, replacing the former 6-panel door with rectilinear tracery to the overlight. The rear wall to Nightingale Street has a low door and tiny window to the left, with upper windows to right and left.

The property was not inspected.