Old Custom House

Cadw's description

Location

On corner of East Canal Wharf and Customhouse Street, on wharf of former Glamorganshire Canal.

History

Custom House on this site since opening of canal in 1790's. Present Building probably built c. 1845, extended along Custm House Street 1865. Possibly by Sidney Smirke, architect of London. Alterations and extension to E circa 1983-5 by Lock-Newcrews, Hill & Partners, architects, of Cardiff.

Exterior

Facade facing W of two storeys (plus attic), five bays. Stucco with some bathstone dressings. Rusticated ground floor and corner pilasters. Modern hipped Mansard roof. Corner chimneys, square with cornice. Stone cornice and parapet with inscription 'Custom House'. First floor windows with square-headed sashes but round-headed shouldered surrounds with keystones. Cornice at sill level. Ground floor windows camber-headed with tall keystones. Central doorway with segmental pediment supported by paired tall brackets o tall plinths; round headed entrance doorway with keystone. Asymmetrical N front articulated by banded pilasters into six bays, with windows grouped 3+1+3+1+1+blank. Square classicising chimneys and to R, attic lunette framed by squat pilasters with scrolls, and low entablature. First floor with round-headed windows with horned and keystoned surrounds. Cornice at sill level. On rusticated ground floor, round-headed windows with keystones. To L, doorway under modern canopy flanked by round-headed windows. In second bay, Venetian window. Remaining windows round-headed with keystones. All ground floor windows have aprons below sills with keystone-like decoration.
Return to E has storeys articulated by chanelling in render. Five round-headed windows on each floor, to R, single windows, to L groups of 4 with simplified treatment.

Reason for designation

Listed for importance in commercial history of Cardiff, despite extensive alterations and extension.