Carmarthen Public Rooms

[2] Commonly referred to as the "Assembly Rooms" the building was designed by James Wilson (architect) of Bath[3] on the site of the Scurlock family town house, where Sir Richard Steele, founder of The Spectator, died in 1729.

The site was occupied by The Ivy Bush inn [4] until c1801, and was then premises of the Timmins family, timber merchants.

The Assembly Rooms had a 5-bay, 2-storey Italianate stucco facade with balustraded parapet, cornice, arched first floor windows between paired pilasters, and channelled ground floor with recessed sash windows and centre door.

The impressive auditorium in use today exists to the rear of the entrance block and was built in 1936.

Prior to this the building was saved by a trust headed by Elizabeth Evans, who formed the Carmarthen and District Youth Opera.