Crossways

Cadw's description

Location

At the junction with Cardiff Road and the key building at the western entrance to Llandaff village.

History

Mid C18 (shown on map of 1776), domestic Palladian in character and likely to be very close in date to 1750, all the surviving original features suggest this, one suggestion is between 1753-8. The previous house had been owned by Thomas Roberts who died in 1741 and his widow married Thomas Edwards, Steward to Cardiff Castle, who lived there until 1794. He rebuilt the house, then known as Llandaff House, as above. It was later (1847-60) the Deanery, occupied 1847-57 by Dean Conybeare the rebuilder of the Cathedral, and it was further enlarged and modernised in c1880, probably by John Prichard for William Luard, Treasurer of the County of Glamorgan. The house was divided in two in the early C20, by the Gunn family, and the entrance hall became the kitchen of No 4 and the entrance to No 4 was put in the left hand return and that to No 2 in the right hand return. The late C20 has seen the old entrance hall restored to its original form. The house is, by reputation, older than the mid C18, but there is nothing now visible to suggest earlier origins and the cellars do not appear to be pre-C18, so Thomas Edwards seems to have done a complete rebuild. The previous house is, however, recorded as being in exactly the same very distinctive position on the Cardiff/Fairwater Road junction on John Speed's plan of 1610.

Exterior

The right return (No 2) has four bays of 6 over 6 sashes with an inserted doorway with modern pillared porch on the ground floor. Victorian brick stack attached to the upper floor. Addition to right with gabled dormer. Two large Victorian 3-flued stacks on the ridge. This part of the house was the service rooms, improved and added to in c1880.

Interior

Not inspected at resurvey, but it is reported that the interior of No 2, which was largely service rooms and lesser bedrooms, is both plainer and more altered than at No 4.

Reason for designation

Included as part of an important mid C18 house with some fine interiors.