Rapallo House

Cadw's description

Location

Between Meadow Gardens and Roumania Crescent.

History

Late C19 to early C20; probably designed by G A Humphreys, architect, and later agent to Mostyn Estate, who built many of the gabled half-timbered and brick houses in Craig-y-Don in late C19 to early C20. Rapallo House was the home of Francis Edouard Chardon (Rapallo was the maiden name of his mother). On his death, he left the house and its collection of paintings, porcelain and armoury etc to the town of Llandudno for use as a museum; Rapallo House was a museum from 1927.

Exterior

House of two storeys and attic, with the ground floor of red brick and with the upper floor plastered with applied half-timbering. Plaintile roofs. Entrance (south) elevation with semi-octagonal corner bay surmounted by a squat spire at west end. Adjoining this to the east there is a bay in recession; upper floor with applied half-timbering pierced by doorway with a loggia before it; third bay is narrow with doorway on ground floor. Fourth bay comprises a wide gable end, with applied timber framing to the upper floor which has a four-light oriel bay window and with a five-light transomed window with terracotta mullions on the ground floor.
Garden elevation facing east has an external brick chimney breast towards the south end with a round-headed window at the base of the chimney breast. The second bay, of two storeys and attic, has an overhanging timber framed gable supported by brackets with a small two-light transomed window to the attic storey, a canted bay window of three lights on the first floor and a shallow five-light rectangular bay window on the ground floor. The third bay has a canted oriel bay window on the first floor. The west side elevation has the storeyed semi-octagonal bay window at its southern end (see front elevation). The second bay from south end has a loggia on the first floor with a wooden mullion and transom window in the main wall of the house behind; single-light window below. The third bay has applied timber framing on the upper floor which has a three-light mullion window with small panes; doorway on ground floor.

Reason for designation

Listed for historic interest as former Rapallo House Museum, and as house typical of the late C19/early C20 developments in Craig-y-Don area of Llandudno.