Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Former Carlton Cinema (Including Nos.18B & 18C)
Castle, Swansea, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Commercial
- Date of designation
- 20 March 1981
- Town
- Swansea
- Community
- Castle
- Unitary authority
- Swansea
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.61917, -3.94645
- Cadw reference
- 11602
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
Very large frontage in range of lower buildings.
History
1913-14. Designed by C T Ruthen, architect of Swansea for Swansea Electric Cinema Co Ltd; Henry Billings of Swansea, contractors (Cost £15,000). Cinema closed 29 October 1977.
Exterior
Structure of reinforced concrete, steel and brick with facade of Doulton’s White Carraraware. Bronzeware to capitals and bases of columns.
4 storey, 3 bay symmetrical front (painted ground floor) with end towers. Ribbed domes, swags and volutes to drums, scrolled pediments to columned aedicules over wreather bull’s-eye windows. Balustraded and solid parapet over deep dentil and egg-and-dart cornice. Ionic columns in antis to centre bay with semi-dome to giant arched bow window lighting ironwork balconies inside, foliage spandrels.
Three levels of tripartite windows to rusticated sides with squat Doric/Ionic/Corinthian columns, moulded and sculptured decorative panels with dancing putti. Outer ground floor bays have large arched openings (blocked) with panelled pilasters, foliage spandrels and grotesque keyblocks. Recessed modern shop front to centre.
Interior
Ground floor interior retains part of columned treatment to ovoid open staircase at rear of shop (formerly foyer). Rest of interior formerly had plasterwork to gallery front and to the barrel vault at rear of auditorium etc.
Nearby in the register
- Restaurant including Nos. 18B & 18CCommercialunder 1 mi
- Tavern PH & Ye Olde Wine ShoppeCommercialunder 1 mi
- Mond BuildingsCommercialunder 1 mi
- Mond BuildingsCommercialunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.