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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

Cory's Building

Butetown, Cardiff, Wales

The record

Designation
Listed building, Grade II
Broad class
Commercial
Date of designation
20 August 1992
Community
Butetown
Unitary authority
Cardiff
Country
Wales
Coordinates
51.46503, -3.16572
Cadw reference
13972

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

David 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).

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This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

Dominant commercial building at the crossroads near the S end of the street, on the NE corner with Bute Place.

Opened in 1889; built to designs of Bruton and Williams, architects of Cardiff, for Cory Brothers Ltd. Adjoins Customs and Immigration building to left and the former Board of Trade building on Bute Place to right.

Free Italianate Classical style with some Mannerist derived detail. 5-storey with asymmetrical 13-window ashlar front and channelled ground floor with granite plinth. Central section emphasised by giant order, part fluted, pilaster strips and stepped up parapet incorporating segmental pediment; similar pilasters to end bays. Ground, 2nd , 3rd & 4th storeys delineated by cornices (dentil to 2nd floor). Horned sash glazing; some with bracket cornices and volutes. Either side of central columns with elaborately foliated bulbous bases; these floors are then linked to central bay by coffered giant arch, with foliated spandrels, carried on paired pilasters and flanking a splayed bay window with open pediment. Similar splayed oriels to 1st floor of flanking sections; paired segmental headed windows to end bays and camber headed windows in squared recesses to ground floor. Central entrance with Grecian brackets to stout balustrade, urn finials and inscribed entablature; recessed doorway. Left hand is red brick with stone banding. The corner to right is set back to top 2 floors, rounded below and dated 1889 to 2nd floor. 2+1-window right hand side adjoining the former Board of Trade building; the right hand bay is slightly stepped back. Similar window treatment; round arched recess to 1st floor containing aedicule and oculus; swags over semicircular-headed entrance with panelled double doors.

Retains openwell stairs with arabesque ornamented iron balustrade; moulded handrail, scrolled to base. Some windows have small-pane glazed shutters (secondary casement glazing).

Prominently sited elaborate commercial building for important Cardiff family business. 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
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