Royal Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

On corner of St Mary Street and Wood Street.

History

1864-1866, by C E Bernard; later additions including taller corner 1890 by J P Jones. Interior staircase 1901, by R A Briggs. "Cardiff Yesterday", Vol 16, (endpapers) has fine picture of newly-built hotel dominating low C18 buildings of St Mary Street.

Exterior

1860s block is Italianate 9 windows plus 1 set back to R. Four storeys plus attic in steep slate roof behind parapet Grey stucco with some exposed stone and brick stringcourses, channelled ground floor; steep slate roof with dormer windows. Generally sash glazing to upper floors, T-bar casements to ground floor. Camber-headed windows to top floor. Second floor has alternating triangular and segmental pedimented windows. First floor has round-headed windows (central Venetian window). Ground floor has canopied entrance with swan-necked pediment to doorway; camber-headed windows with casement glazing. Bay to R has 2 storey splayed bay treated as window on first floor, and shallow porch with pink granite shafts to columns. Later taller corner block of 5 storeys plus attic and 2 levels of dormers in steep slate roof. French Renaissance style. Channelled bathstone, pink granite columns to ground floor, pilasters to first floor, stone balustraded parapet. St Mary Street front has 4 windows to each floor grouped 1-2-1. Pedimented corner bay is convex to third floor level (balustrade under 4th floor windows); 2 camber-headed windows on 1st floor flanked by granite shafts; stone balconies. Entrance to L, and window flanked by heavy granite columns. To Wood Street, similar treatment with 3 windows on upper floors, 4 on lower floors; central oriel window to second and third floors; balconies to second and first floors. On ground floor, bar windows with granite columns. Similar treatment to Westgate Street, then lower, painted stucco block of 10 windows

Interior

Not accessible at time of inspection, but known to retain the panelled room dined in by Captain Scott and his party on the eve of their departure for the South Pole, June 1910.

Reason for designation

Elaborate Victorian hotel building on important corner site.