63 Vale Street

Cadw's description

Location

Set back behind a low revetted grass verge, adjoining Grove House (Y Gelli) to the R.

History

Late Victorian commercial building, perhaps originally offices; dated 1887. The building relates to the Post Office in Hall Square in its northern Renaissance stylistic inspiration and in its choice of materials

Exterior

Large 3-storey civic building in corporate Renaissance style. Of brick construction with terracotta and yellow sandstone dressings. Hipped slate roof with tiled ridge and tall end chimneys with decorative, moulded cornicing. Symmetrical 3-bay main section with a further narrow bay to the L, with secondary entrance. Main central entrance via 3 segmental steps. This has a recessed doorway with splayed sides and a triple-arched head, the former with blind arched niches and the latter with blind geometric spandrel decoration; carved pendant keystone. Modern outer doors, part-glazed, with leaded tympanum; part-glazed inner doors. The entrance is flanked by narrow colonettes with moulded shaft rings which increase in size from the springing point of the entrance arch and continue up to terminate in engaged finials. These pierce 2 moulded stringcourses between the first and second floors which themselves are returned across the whole of the facade.

The ground and first-floor flanking bays are occupied by large storeyed and canted bays with 3-light wooden mullioned and transomed windows to the front and single-light side sections; decorative leads to the upper lights, plain below. Above the entrance is a 2-part, 6-light window. The storeyed bays are flat-roofed and terminate in wavy parapets with moulded sandstone copings and ball finials. Below these is a heavy moulded stringcourse which is returned across the whole of the facade.

The second floor has 2 large shaped gables flanking a central Flemish gable of equal size; the latter is surmounted by a moulded sandstone pediment, whilst the former have ball finials. Canted oriel to the centre, with slated roof and moulded underside; plain 3-light mullioned and transomed windows to the outer bays. The narrow left-hand bay is of 2 storeys and is slightly recessed, though the banding and string-course decoration of the main facade continues onto it. Entrance with plain modern door and sandstone lintel; tall arched window to the first floor with plain sash.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-composed late Victorian office building in the northern Renaissance style favoured for contemporary commercial architecture, and retaining good unaltered facade.

Group value with other listed items in Vale Street.