46 Water Street

Cadw's description

Location

On the S corner with Crescent Road.

History

Dated 1903, and purpose-built as a terrace of shops with accommodation above and to the rear, to designs of T Lockwood of Chester. The building represents a modification of Lockwood’s original scheme, which had been for a more ambitious, and larger-scale development on 3 storeys. This scheme was disapproved by the Rhyl Urban District Council, and Lockwood submitted a revised scheme. Still in commercial use, though largely as offices.

Exterior

Red-brick with gold terracotta bands and dressings, and slate roof. The building comprises a row of 4 shops to Water Street elevation (now offices), with a larger shop given distinctive architectural treatment on the angle with Crescent Road (2-window range to Water Street, single window return to Crescent Road, with angled corner). Water Street elevation is articulated by 2 advanced pedimented bays housing entrances and flanked by shop fronts, with outer and paired central canted oriel windows to first floor. Doorways are recessed in segmental arches with mannerist pilasters to architraves. Flanking shop fronts have recessed doorways, and curved shop windows divided by slim mullions and high set transoms, with small upper panes. Sash windows over the doorways. Higher corner block has big segmentally arched windows with scrolled voussoirs and small upper panes on each floor, set between mannerist pilasters to ground floor, plain pilasters above. Continuous moulded cornice and blocking course bands. Entrance across angle in segmentally arched architrave, the hoodmould carried on bold mannerist brackets. Canted turret corbelled out above with 3 narrow sash windows with rubbed brick heads, and ogee leaded roof with fleche. Decorative low relief panelling incorporating clock below the roof. Segmentally arched pedimented gables with ball finials and scrolled kneelers to attic either side of the tower, and in the rear return facing Water Street, with oculi in cartouches with keystones and voussoirs.

Reason for designation

An excellent example of purpose-designed commercial building, which makes very good use of its corner site, and exploits the decorative potential of its materials.