The Corporation P.H.

Cadw's description

Location

In a dominant position at Canton Cross.

History

Built as a commercial hotel in 1889 and unaltered externally.
The land was developed by Cardiff Corporation, hence the name, on land previously occupied by Canton Market.

Exterior

Built of dark grey rockfaced pennant sandstone rubble with painted stone dressings and Welsh slate roofs. In a mixed Gothic style. Two storeys and attic with a taller four storey tower over the main entrance. Convex curved frontage on the corner of Cowbridge Road East and Llandaff Road. The block continues with an additional three bays to the left, these are Nos.190-194 (even) Cowbridge Road East (qv). The first bay from the left is as Nos.190-194 and was probably built as a shop with accommodation over but is now part of The Corporation. This has an elliptical arch for the ground floor shopfront, above this a corbelled 4-light oriel, each light with 1 over 2 panes with mullions and transoms. This is flanked by single light 1 over 2 pane windows. Above the oriel is a 2-light gabled dormer with strip vent in the gable. Tall brick stack to the steeply pitched roof.
The hotel proper has three doors and six windows on the ground floor D.W.D.W.D.W.W.W.W. The windows are 3-light arch headed sashes with colonnettes, the two far right bays are 2-light. Doors with elliptical arches and colonnette jambs. The centre bay is the main entrance and above this is a corbelled oriel, as before. To the left of this are three 2-light windows and two 3-light ones. To the right are one 3-light and three 2-light windows. The attic floor has four dormers to the left and three to the right, as before. Above the entrance at this level is a small 2-light window and this is in a square tower which rises through another floor which is arcaded with four strip lights to each face and a pyramidal roof. Steeply pitched roof with tall brick stacks. Rear elevation not seen.

Interior

The ground floor has been opened out into one bar space with a little joinery and one fireplace surviving. Upper floors not seen.

Reason for designation

Included as a bold and unaltered piece of late C19 street architecture which has group value with the attached Central Library (qv) and the listed buildings on the south side of Cowbridge Road East.