4A High Street
Main details
Address:
Present Occupier:
Present Owner:
Ground Floor:
Other Floors:
Date when first used by present occupier:
4A High Street
Waterstones
??
Bookshop
(2006 as Waterstones : see “recent history”
Before and After Images
4B 4A
1979/80
2015
About the building
Source : Abergavenny Local History Society Survey 1980:
Fragments of timber frontage were found during alterations in 1959. Cellars and top storey windows filled in in 1959. Clay pipe found in the cellar. (Mr Dulson)
Possibly established in 1298??? (source : Mr Jackson)
The present Greyhound Hotel (in Market Street, built 1872) 
was the tap bar of the old Hotel. There are slight remains of hay dispensers and stables in the back yard.
The hotel had 18 bedrooms, 4 reception rooms, a bar and a ballroom. There was a long bar, about 25 yards long, running parallel to Market Street, and it was great meeting place for the rugby, tennis and bowling clubs.
Recent history
From 2006 to present Waterstones book shop*From ?? to 2006 Ottakers book shop*
From 1983 to ?? George Oliver Footwear Ltd moved here in 1983, from 20 High Street
1972 : George Masons (Abergavenny Chronicle)
From 1959 to ?? 4A High Street : George Masons/International/Pricerite – grocers – this was all the same firm (at that time, on the upper floors was storage for Cavendish furniture (at no.4B) and a private flat which was formed from a block of 5 bedrooms from the Hotel)
To 1959 : Greyhound Hotel
(*Waterstones opened its first branch in London in 1982. Ottakar’s was established in 1987 and expanded rapidly. By 2006 it was present in 141 locations. Following a rumoured takeover by HMV and also a possible management buyout by founders James Heneage and Philip Dunne, the company was finally bought by Waterstones who took over on 31 May 2006 source : en.wikipedia.org)
Previous occupiers
Year
Name
Detail
Source
1937
Owner 1938 Greyhound Co Ltd.
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
1934
Prop: Mrs M Cotton
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly
1930
Prop: C C Daft 1927-31)
Greyhound Hotel
Car/Npt & Dis
1926
Prop: Rees, Rogers & Co
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly
1923
Prop Rees, Rogers & Co 1923-26
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1920
Prop: Mrs Ethel Maud Reynolds
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly
1914
Prop : Mrs Emily Tovell
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly
1910
Prop: Mrs Emily Tovell 1910-1914
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1906
Prop: Francis Albert McGraith
Owner : R P Culley
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1901
Prop: Francis Albert McGraith
Owner : R P Culley & Co Ltd (1901-06)
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1895
Prop : 1891-95 Walter C Williams
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1891
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly
1884
Prop 1882, dec’d by 1884 : Emily Tucker
Greyhound Hotel
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1879
Prop: William Tucker
Owner 1880 : William Tucker
Greyhound Hotel
Thacker/ Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1877
Prop: William Tucker
Greyhound Hotel
Owen
1875
Prop: William Tucker
Greyhound Hotel
Mer & Croc
1871
Prop 1871-1880 : William Tucker
Owner 1872 : William Tucker. 1873 : S W Tucker
Greyhound Hotel/Inland Revenue Office, William Herring
Kelly/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1865
Prop: Philip Morgan
Prop : 1868 Mrs Tucker. Owner 1868 : S W Tucker
Greyhound Hotel/ from 1862 Inland Revenue Office
Webster/ Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
1858
Prop: Philip Morgan (from 1853-65)
Owner 1853-1864 : Robert Williams
Greyhound Hotel
Slater
1850
1851
Prop: 1849 William Morgan
Prop :1850-52 Timothy Buck
Owner in 1849 : Mrs Hickman; Owner 1850-51 Duke of Beaufort
Greyhound Hotel
Greyhound Hotel
Pigot
census/Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
1844
Prop: John Richards
Owner in 1839 : Duke of Beaufort
Greyhound Hotel
Slater/ Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
1835
Prop: John Richards
Prop 1830-1835:George Evans
Prop ?Hickman in 1839
Greyhound Hotel
Pigot/Abergavenny Pubs
Frank Olding
1822
1811
Prop : Thomas Evans (1822-23)
Prop 1811 John Strange
Greyhound Hotel
Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
1794
Prop : Mrs Ann Wallington (owner 1791, prop 1791-1794)
Greyhound Hotel
Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
1787
Mr C Wallington
Greyhound Hotel
Abergavenny Pubs Frank Olding
Other information
Source : Abergavenny Pubs Frank OldingThe Tucker family seems to have acquired the Greyhound sometime between 1865 & 1868 and various member of the family were to run the business from then until at least 1882. By July 1872 William Tucker had extended the hotel & added the new Tap & Billiard Room in March Street, now known as the Greyhound Vaults. Behind the Vaults, the hotel even had its own bowling green
Source : Local History Survey 1980
On census night, 1851, there were in residence: Timothy Black, his wife and 5 children, 2 visitors and 5 servants.
Source : Thacker (Abergavenny Local History Society Survey 1980)
1794 : the Abergavenny Improvement Committee met here, to redevelop the decayed Town Hall and Market
1800 : Abergavenny Society for the prosecution of felons met here
1839 : The Greyhound was owned by the Duke of Beaufort
1851 : “Paul Pry” the Daily Coach to and from London, via Gloucester, Ross & Monmouth, departed 1.30 pm
1854 : There was a horse bus service to connect with trains
1862-65 : also Inland Revenue office
1871 : William Herring, Inland Revenue Supervisor
1927 : The murderers Brown and Kennedy stayed here
Proprietor Philip Morgan, in 1862, also kept the Angel and a farm
Adverts in Abergavenny Chronicle :
1967 : ad for George Masons, wines & spirits
1969 : ad for George Masons, Christmas fare
1970 : ad for George Masons
If you have any further information about this property please email alhs@live.co.uk