22856

128  

II  

Designated  

24/02/2000  

24/02/2000  

The Thatch  

128 Heol Isaf  

Cardiff  

Radyr and Morganstown  

 

Radyr  

313262  

179493  

W  

The very first house on left (W) entering Radyr on the main thoroughfare from S (Cardiff direction).  

Domestic  

 

Built 1929-32 for Paul Mathias solicitor. Reported to have been built in 'Cotswold style' to please Mrs Mathias and that the same style was used in miniature for princesses' houses in garden of the Royal Lodge at Windsor commissioned as a gift from the Welsh people; that garden was remodelled by G A Jellicoe 1932-5.  

A long relatively shallow building, main frontage faces S to garden with short cross wings and single storey extensions to rear. Rendered with ashlar dressings and thatch roof with eyebrows to main frontage, hipped to sides and rear and rendered ridge and external stacks at each end. Windows are leaded lights in stone surrounds which have sunk chamfers and narrow mullions; first floor windows are close under eaves. Main S frontage of 3 bays, the centre breaks forward and the first floor is supported by a narrower ground floor bay and brackets either side giving a slightly jettied effect; paired 3-light windows above and one 4-light window below. To right 2- light first floor window and 3-light ground floor window. To left paired 2-light windows above a ground floor garden recess with wide full-length multipane garden window. Entrance frontage has a thatched porch supported by stone piers in the angle between gable end of main frontage and rear wing; behind is a panelled door with rustic hinges. Under eyebrow eaves to right is a 3-light window, paired single lights to ground floor; to left is the wide stepped external stack of the main range flanked by single lights. At the opposite end a kitchen bay breaks forward with larger window and adjacent external stack. Rear has similar fenestration between the asymmetrical bays.  

Interior designed along the axis of a corridor running the length of the building, off which lead reception rooms with garden frontage to left and service rooms to right. Each ground floor room has a fireplace of different style: one Tudor style with timber lintel, one with semicircular brick arch and one with castellated brick; bedrooms also have fireplaces one with moulded brick rose motifs and deep brick kerb. Wood is dark stained.  

Included for its architectural interest in a traditional style from the inter-war period when much of Radyr was developing.