Studio: international art (60.1914)

Craig-y-Parc, South IVales

CRAIG-Y-PARC : A HOUSE AND
GARDEN IN SOUTH WALES
DESIGNED BY C. E. MALLOWS,
F.R.I.B.A.

The set of pencil sketches and plan of Craig-y-
Parc, Pentyrch, near Cardiff, here reproduced,
were made for Mr. Thomas Evans in order to
give a general preliminary idea of the arrangement
of the house and garden on the site and of the
character of the internal decoration of the prin-
cipal rooms. Modifications in detail have been
made in the completed design, but the essential
features have been retained of both the house and
garden plan.

The governing idea of the house plan is the
arrangement of the principal living-rooms around a
cloister placed between the projecting wings of the
dining and drawing rooms and on the central axis
of the scheme. The cloister garth has its walks
complete on the east, south, and west sides ; on the
north side the hall is connected directly with the
garth by a large bay window, forming the north walk.
The east and west walks have been made of
sufficient width to form covered rooms for meals
in the open air. In this position they are there-
fore both well sheltered from the weather and

in direct communication with the principal living-
rooms. The cloister so placed forms a pleasant
connecting link with the garden, being in itself a
feature half of the garden and half of thedhouse,
and, moreover, serves the useful purpose of
merging the one into the other, the first step in the
gradation of the whole design from the architectural
lines of the house to the countryside.

In modern house design little advantage 'has
been taken of the cloister form of plan, yet it is
surely one of the most beautiful ever evolved. So
far as house planning is concerned it is quite
true that the cloister, atrium or patio form is
most usually associated with brighter climates
than ours, yet it is nevertheless capable of being
adapted in many ways to modern northern require-
ments, and made to serve purposes both of
practical and picturesque value.

The general disposition of the whole design of
Craig-y-Parc has been naturally dictated by the site
and its surroundings, which are of quite unusual
picturesque interest and beauty; it is surrounded
by fine views of valleys and distant hills. On
the north is the Garth, one of the famous land-
marks of Glamorganshire, and towards the south-
east glimpses are obtained of the Bristol Channel.
A plateau most happily forms the north-east

CRAIG-Y-PARC, NEAR CARDIFF: ENTRANCE LODGES

C. E. MALLOWS, F.R.I.B.A., ARCHITECT

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