EXCHANGE BUILDINGS
xEchange Buildings remains one of the most iconic buildings in Llanelli. It stands at the corner of Market Street and Park Street and was named after the Royal Exchange, an inn which had stood on the same site. A local town directory dating from 1844 lists the landlord of the Royal Exchanges John Jones; by 1897 it was managed by J. W Hughes [1].
As the name implies, Market Street was once a very busy commercial thoroughfare until the demolition of the old Victorian market in the late 1960s and the later sealing off of the street by the construction of the modern St Elli Shopping Centre.
Exchange Building 2025 Royal Exchange Hotel 1895 Llanelly Mercury Advert
December 1931
Llanelli Library ILL1278
Writing in 1939, local historian Daisy Lewis described Market Street at the end of the nineteenth century …
The mere mention of the Royal Exchange or Barley Mow reminds me that the former was widely known in Carmarthenshire for its farmers’ dinners on market day. How children used to stand and stare through the windows of the dining room! And how those farmers could eat!! The Yard of the Royal Exchange became the talk of the town on one occasion, for a whale, which had washed up on Llanelly’s beach, was brought there on a railway waggon for exhibition purposes. Until it commenced to “hum” we paid a penny each to view the carcass.[2]
By 1912 the writing was on the wall for the Royal Exchange: it was reported that Lady Stafford Howard, owner of the Stepney estate, and owner of the lease of the inn, intended to take the building down and use the site for public purposes. [3]
Exchange Buildings
In the following year plans were advanced for the demolition of the Royal Exchange and the erection of a "Fine Block of Buildings" by The Exchange Building Company Ltd (Llanelly), whose architect was W. Griffiths of Falcon Chambers, Llanelli.
The new company subscribers were: W. J. Thomas, 6 Park Street, Llanelly, jeweller; D Griffiths, 1 College Hill, Llanelly, grocer; D. Jones, Llygadyrych, Llanelly, butcher; J. Evans 8 Park Street, Llanelly, ironmonger.
The town’s surveyor, George Watkeys, requested that the pavement be widened from five to eight feet which would be a much needed improvement for the town. Benjamin Howell & Son Ltd., were engaged as the building contractors [4].
On 17th May, 1913 the contents of theRoyal Exchange Hotel were advertised for sale by S. N. Powell, the local auctioneer, acting on behalf of Mrs Hughes who, it was stated, was leaving the property. Among the items listed were beds, dressing tables, washstands, chairs, carriages, a billiard table and all the other furniture associated with an hotel or inn. [5]
While demolition work on the old building progressed, tragedy struck when Ronald Davies, one of the workmen employed in its removal, fell from the wall he was working on. Davies, a stranger to the town, was taken to the Union Infirmary where two weeks later he died. [6]
In September 1913 one reporter said ...
"Getting more like London every day" is the password locally these days and in the near future we will still have more cause for self congratulation. The fine new block of buildings on the site of the Royal Exchange is mounting up rapidly and soon we will find there a Cafe which will add to the dignity of the newly designated borough town...[7]
This is it!
In the May of the following year the announcement This is it! came from an advertisement appearing in the Llanelly Mercury. It was published by Prytherch The Fashion Expert. Prytherch’s was a new drapery shop set up by John Prytherch in the newly completed Exchange Buildings in Park Street. They were selling ‘up to date’ clothing and drapery, ranging from millinery and ladies fashion to children's clothes.
They were followed by W. J. Thomas, a local jeweller, watchmaker, and silversmith who opened his new shop in the same building on 5th November 1914. The jeweller’s shop had previously operated round the corner in Market Street, near Vint's Palace Cinema.
Following the start of the First World War in July 1914, there do not appear to be many advertisements in the local press from businesses occupying Exchange Buildings, possibly because of the uncertainty and the state of the local economy. One To Let notice advertising the building as an hotel appeared in the Llanelly Star of 1916, reinforces the idea that the local economy was suffering.
By 1920 there was ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, because the Board of Trade Labour Exchange was listed as being based there. The manager of the office at the time was Thomas Owen. That same year saw Freeman & Phillips, Tobacconists; Antonio Rabaiotti, Confectioner; Daniel Griffiths, Grocer; as well as Prytherch’s who continued to operate from the shop unit within the building.[8]
All Change
After seven years of trading in the drapery and millinery business, John Prytherch’s shop closed at the end of 1921 when Prytherch had “left the country”. Just before his disappearance, Prytherch had become involved in some matrimonial scandal when his head milliner, Florence Morgan, was alleged to have had a ‘liaison’ with him resulting in the birth of a child.[9] Prytherch’s was soon replaced by T. L. Davies Drapery.
Moving on to 1935, the offices of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs are based there on the first floor of the building. In that same year T.L. Davies moved to Vaughan Street. In 1936 a new office block had been built for the Labour Exchange in Vauxhall and the vacant space left behind was soon occupied by a large sports shop called The Sports Depot in 1937; this business operated a private lending library as well as the usual goods associated with such a shop. That same year The Exchange Grocery traded from the building, followed by The Exchange Drapery.
On the approach of the Second World War a new furniture dealer trading under the name of Cavendish occupied the ground floor of Exchange Buildings. It was a company selling all types of household furniture including flooring, and pianos which they offered on “easy terms” and part exchange. Next door, the jeweller W. J. Thomas was advertising clocks, wedding and diamond rings along with a “free gift”. In 1940, The Sports Depot is advertising the fact that it had its own "Lending Library" with volumes of the latest novels at “2d, 3d, 4d per week”.
During the Second World War advertisements from businesses trading from Exchange Buildings were very sparse, probably due to rationing. Food, clothing and furniture were affected. Such items were marked with what was known as the CC41 Utility logo. (image at end of article)
Following the end of the war the well known fruit, fish and potato merchants Stanley Pearce and Sons Ltd took on and refurbished a shop unit on the ground floor of the Park Street side of Exchange Buildings in 1960.
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After many changes in the trades and tenants carrying on business through the years, now in 2024 the Exchange Buildings have been extensively refurbished. They are currently owned by Anton Holdings Ltd. and managed by Dragon Residential Lettings and Property Management Ltd. There are six commercial units on the ground floor including the Avo Cafe and Bar since 2009 and Amy's Hairport (hairdresser) since 2010. The first and second floors comprise thirty residential apartments.
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[1] Pigots 1844 Directory
James & Davies Town Directory 1897 p100.
[2] Llanelly Guardian 1939. Memories & Incidents of Llanelly in By-gone Days by Mrs Daisy Lewis series LG
[3] Llanelly Mercury. 11 Jan 1912. Renewal of Lease Refused.
[4] South Wales Press & Cambrian Daily Leader 26 Feb 1913
Llanelly Guardian 2Sept 1912
[5] Llanelly Star 17 May1913.
[6] Llanelly Star 12 July 1913.
[7] Llanelly Star 6 Sept 1913
[8] Kelly’s Directory 1920 p513, 519, 515,516.
[9] Llanelly & County Guardian 24th August 1922 “Tradesman & Milner”.