History
Lodge built 1885 at the completion of Windsor Gardens to the designs of architect Henry Snell and Robert Forrest, agent of the Windsor Estate.
A regular ferry service from rapidly growing Cardiff to Penarth, “the Garden by the Sea”, began in 1856 and passenger trains began to run in 1878, making it a popular destination for day trips, and a viable place for city professionals to move to. Windsor Gardens was the first public park in Penarth developed along a long narrow strip of land overlooking the coast, owned by Robert Windsor-Clive, 14th Baron Windsor. Visitors to the park were charged one penny admission fees, but residents of villas along Marine Parade and Bridgeman Road could pay an annual fee to have their own private gate into the Gardens.
The northern half of the gardens was completed in 1880 and the southern half by 1885. Lodges were built at both ends of the park as homes for gardeners and to collect admission fees. The Park was gifted to Penarth Urban District Council in 1932 along with the lodges, though a condition of the transfer was that the gardener Mr Carey be allowed to live rent free in South Lodge for the rest of his life. A turnstile entrance was likely removed at this time as admission fees were no longer charged. The South Lodge ceased to be a residence late in the twentieth century but was still used by the Council Parks Department into the twenty first century. In 2022 the Lodge became an ice cream parlour.
Exterior
Picturesque small park lodge in domestic revival style. Flemish bond red brick and tile with some half-timbering; roughly coursed and squared low stone plinth topped with chamfered black bricks. Plain tiled roof with ridge cresting, and axial stack on main gabled range. Pale stone surrounds to ground floor windows and doors except in rear. Balanced asymmetrical composition in compact plan comprising two-storeyed central gabled range with lower flanking bays, each with porch entrance.
Gabled main front range has half timbering at gable apex projecting on timber corbels, tile hanging to upper storey with 3-light timber casement window with small upper panes, advanced on timber brackets. Larger ground floor 3-light stone-mullioned window comprising central sash and flanking casements, all with small upper panes. Similar arrangement to rear gable but with smaller ground floor two and four pane sash windows with pale stone sills and brick lintels, and doorway to right. Projecting outshuts containing stores flank the rear gable.
Narrow left hand one and a half storey bay has roof with overhanging eaves advanced as cat slide over porch to front. Left side gable has pair of two-light casement windows with stone surrounds to ground floor and two-light timber window lighting stairs in gable apex above. Longer right-hand bay has hipped roof with overhanging eaves advanced over porch with small half-timbered gable advanced over entrance. Right hand return has paired two-light casement windows with mullion. Porches to either side rest on turned-wood columns in hourglass shapes atop concrete balustrades with vase shaped balusters and cuboid posts. Lozenge pattern red and black floor tiles to porches.
Interior
Modernised as an ice cream parlour, though original interior partitions and fireplaces were lost much earlier than this. Cornices to ground floor servery and dining area. Exposed timber lintels to first floor windows. Timber balustrade to staircase.
Reasons for Listing
Listed for special architectural and historic interest as an attractive lodge and an integral part of a well preserved late Victorian public park, linked to the development of the South Wales coal economy and the related growth of the future capital and its environs. Group value with the North Lodge.
External Links
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
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