Ithon Road, Llandrindod Wells, LD1

THE PROPERTY

A unique and historically important opportunity to acquire a landmark Grade II listed building situated just off the centre of the thriving Spa Town of Llandrindod Wells. Presented and maintained to a high standard, The Gwalia has undergone significant restoration and improvement in recent years. Currently, the building is used predominantly as office accommodation, while having also housed several key community services, including the Llandrindod Wells Library and the Register Office. Arranged over five storeys, with an additional external space on the flat roof section, the property provides exceptional internal floor area and versatility. The sub-basement level, primarily housing the building’s heating systems, extends to approximately 104.11 sq. m. The basement and ground floor measure around 765.7 sq. m and 779.15 sq. m respectively, while the first, second, and third floors extend to approximately 674.3 sq. m, 645.33 sq. m, and 668.54 sq. m. The sale also includes a private car park located just off Ithon Road, within easy walking distance to the northwest of the building, providing parking for around 15 vehicles with convenient roadside access. This represents a rare and exciting opportunity to acquire a fine building of architectural and historic significance, which has been superbly maintained during the current owner’s tenure. As an additional benefit, the current owners are willing to retain portions of the building on short leases, offering a valuable income opportunity for the next custodians of this remarkable property. Call us today for further information!

HISTORY

Designed by Swash & Bain, architects of Newport, the building was constructed in a classical Baroque Revival style with red brick and stone dressings. The Gwalia Hotel officially opened in 1900 and featured a symmetrical five-bay façade facing the corner of Norton Terrace and Ithon Road. The central bay was distinguished by a round-headed doorway at ground level, with pairs of sash windows on the first and second floors, flanked by ornate Ionic pilasters spanning both storeys. These supported a modillioned segmental pediment with a shield motif in the tympanum. The flanking bays featured sash windows separated by decorative stone panels, while the attic level boasted dormer windows with segmental pediments. The end bays were formed as octagonal towers, each crowned with an elegant dome.

The Gwalia soon became a fashionable destination, welcoming notable guests including the future Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who stayed in 1903, 1904, and 1905, and the composer Sir Edward Elgar, who visited in 1909. Lloyd George’s mistress, Frances Stevenson, even sent him love letters from the hotel in August 1925. During the Second World War, the building was requisitioned for military use and, following a post-war decline in spa tourism, it never reopened as a hotel. The property was purchased at auction by Radnorshire County Council in September 1948, and by 1950 it had become the Council’s administrative headquarters. After local government reorganisation in 1974, the building served as the headquarters of Radnorshire District Council, and following the introduction of unitary authorities in 1996, it was used as a customer service point for Powys County Council. In 2014, the local library, previously based on Beaufort Road, relocated into the building to co-locate with the customer service centre - continuing the building’s long and distinguished public service legacy.

LISTING DETAILS

According to the Cadw website, the Grade II Listing covers the following;

Queen Anne Period and Edwardian Baroque. 3-storey and attic brick front framed by octagonal, domed turrets and with advanced stuccoed giant arched entrance bay. Segmental dentilled pediment terminating in scrolls and supported by plain cornice on pilasters with Ionic-influenced capitals; arch to 2nd floor with shield and recessed window; 1st floor built out as a bay with horizontal cartouche above 2 sash windows with fluted columns to centre. Plain semi-circular arched entrance with panelled wooden doors. Large ironwork verandah projecting across front with semi-circular iron ribbed canopy to entrance with cresting to arch and ridge; rich scroll work and cast-iron columns with traceried spandrels and foliated capitals. Sash windows octagonal turrets almond-shaped pivot windows to the top floors with large keystones rising to brick eaves courses to leaded domed roofs. Hipped slate roof with exposed eaves and 2 brick stacks to front pitch 3 to left side. 3 semi-circular headed dormers with sash windows with glazing bars in architraves. Slightly advanced bays either side of centre with sashes linked by stuccoed heraldic panels.4-storey and attic left side (Norton Street) elevation on downhill slope to Rock Park. 4 semi-circular headed dormers and 3 splayed brick bays with concave stone parapets on moulded brackets and heraldic panels to the tops of each bay. Sash windows. Terrace of front continues around at 1st floor level to depth of one bay of left side with ironwork to railings and small openings within brick terrace wall. Later semi-octagonal 6-storey stone tower beyond in Baroque Revival style. Domed top with classical semi-frieze and broken pediments to 1st floor sash windows. Stepping further down the hill, 5-storey, 6-window block adjoining in similar light Baroque style. Brick with freestone dressings; parapet with detailed cornice below and shield to centre. 3 splayed bay to left with stone parapets and shields and large keystones. Other sash windows linked by ashlar panels and with broken pediments to 1st floor and triple Keystones to ground floor. Plain right-side elevation stepping down Ithon Road, 7-window wide, 3-storey basement and attic, 5 dormers, all sash windows. Interior retains fine entrance hall with two level galleries on 3 sides with ironwork banisters, wooden newel posts and repeated traceried patterns. Stuccoed and panelled ceiling, good Art Nouveau glass to all 3 floors and to staircase. Doors with sinuous detail, council room to right has classical plaster frieze and dentilled cornice.

Telephone & Broadband: Telephone- subject to BT transfer regulations. According to comparethemarket.com the property has a broadband speed of: 34.00 Mbps (average speed of Mbps).

Please note you should always confirm this by speaking to the specific provider you would like to use. This is for guidance only.

The property is situated just off the centre of the popular Spa Town of Llandrindod Wells, the county town of Powys – the largest county in Wales. The town offers an extensive range of retail, recreational, and educational facilities and is a popular destination for visitors, thanks to its picturesque surrounding countryside and elegant mix of Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Llandrindod Wells is easily accessible by both road and rail, with regular bus services operating in and around the town as well as to neighbouring villages and towns. The area provides excellent educational options, including several primary schools, a comprehensive secondary school, and a sixth form. The town boasts The Albert Hall Theatre, the National Cycle Collection Museum, and a large man-made lake with surrounding sculptures. Each year, Llandrindod hosts the Victorian Festival, when locals and visitors alike dress in period costume and the whole town steps back in time. For sports and recreation, Llandrindod offers a Football Club, Rugby Club, an international-standard outdoor bowling green that hosts national and international events, a modern indoor bowling centre, and a highly regarded 18-hole golf course with driving range. There is also a leisure centre featuring a full-sized swimming pool, gym, AstroTurf pitch, and indoor sports hall. Nestled within the Wye Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty and close to the Elan Valley at Rhayader, the town is a walker’s paradise. Nearby, the famous Red Kite Feeding Centre at Gigrin Farm offers a truly unique opportunity to see these rare and magnificent birds up close on a daily basis.