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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Castle, Swansea, Wales

A Grade II* listed building in Swansea, Castle, designated on 30 March 1987.

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913) covering the location of Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Castle, Swansea, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Designation
Listed building, Grade II*
Broad class
Recreational
Date of designation
30 March 1987
Locality
Swansea
Community
Castle
Unitary authority
Swansea
Country
Wales
Coordinates
51.62387, -3.94434
Cadw reference
11553

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1637 · The fourth table of England. Cornub. Devonia, Somerset etc. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1865 · England and Wales. England No. 6. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Sheet 10. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. . (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1897 · 247 Swansea (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Get directions ↗

This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

History

Dated 1909. Designed by Glendinning Moxham, architect of Swansea. Edwardian Baroque.

Exterior

Low and wide symmetrical composition with advanced, pedimented and pavilions, elaborate Baroque doorpiece to plain centre. Red brick, ashlar dressings (banded to angles). 2-storey ends with rusticated pilasters and Corinthian columns in antis supporting entablature of dentilled pediments; recessed tripartite windows (paired in centre) with small-pane glazing, swagged heraldic shields over ground floor, cills dropped through rusticated plinth. Uniform 5-bay centre with pitched glazed roof behind blocking-course with bold dentilled cornice. Frieze inscribed "MDCCCCIX". Architraved cross-windows with keyblocks linked to cornices and aprons, small-pane glazing. Doorcase with open and broken pediment, florid cartouche with cherubs, keyblock to round-arched entrance, blocked columns with triglyph frieze to doorpiece. Low area walls swept up, steps to double panelled door.

Modern extension (1974) to left is not of special interest.

Interior

Interior has monumental top-lit entrance hall with balustraded gallery cantilevered on massive volutes, pilasters below. Imperial staircase with balustraded handrails to centre left under archway with swagged, cherubic keyblock. Segmental arched and glazed ceiling with massive volutes as before, panelled tympana, fine bracket cornice. Architraves timber doorcases, tablets to friezes with cornices over, panelled reveals; arched bays along ground floor entrance wall.

Reason for designation

Group value.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 2026-09-07, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Service · Open Government Licence v3.0
All Recreational in Swansea All Unitary authority Swansea records All Wales Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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