History

1878, designed by C E Bernard, architect, in a C15 Venetian Gothic style. Old Glamorganshire canal formerly ran along eastern side of chambers, hence the choice of Venetian Gothic, a style admired and advocated by John Ruskin. Ground floor reconstructed in matching style 1992-93.

Exterior

Four storey facade in Venetian Gothic style. Stucco and Portland stone in imitation of Istrian stone. Seven bays. Gothic cornice with pierced pinnacles either end joined by ornamental battlements. Dormers. Third floor has single windows, seven in number and all with rounded heads and rope-moulded architraves (similar window to L return). Second floor has ogee-headed windows, arranged 2:1:2:3:2:1:2; floreated stringcourse at impost level; projecting balconies to single windows, pierced screens to others. First floor has windows with trefoil heads and Ruskinian floreated capped columns arranged in Venetian manner with 2:1:2 lights repeated either side of (restored) splayed oriel window in same style. Shopfronts on ground floor.

Reasons for Listing

Striking example of Venetian Gothic architecture.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29491718

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)