A former ship’s warehouse dating back more than 150 years has gone on the market in Aberaeron, raising the prospect of another new chapter for one of the town’s surviving maritime buildings.

Storws Fawr, near Aberaeron harbour, was built around 1870 and originally served the town’s shipping trade. The substantial stone and slate building is included on Aberaeron’s historical trail and remains a reminder of the period when the harbour played a much larger role in the town’s commercial life.

Its history has also crossed into local tradition, with a former access route from Quay Parade once used by the Aberaeron Carnival Band during processions.

The building underwent a major restoration in 2006, when much of its interior was rebuilt using steel framing and concrete floors while retaining elements of its industrial character. One particularly unusual feature is an oak staircase made from century-old timber reclaimed from the belfry of Llanbadarn Church in Aberystwyth.

More recently, planning permission was granted in March 2024 to allow the upper floors to be converted for residential use.

That leaves a range of possible futures for the remainder of the building, from commercial or studio use to a possible community or heritage role, subject to any further permissions required. The property particulars also raise the possibility of the building being used as an exhibition or museum space.

Storws Fawr stands close to the harbour in the centre of Aberaeron, and its sale places another of the town’s historic commercial buildings at a potential turning point, more than a century and a half after it first served the port.

The historic building is currently up for sale for over £325,000, you can read and view more about this nod to Aberaeron’s maritime history via Fine and Country’s listing https://shorturl.at/y5hFA.