A huge former chapel on one of Cardiff's most sought-after streets is on sale for £1 million. The 119-year-old Presbyterian chapel on Cathedral Road in Pontcanna was converted into three floors of office space and currently houses the headquarters of The Wallich, Wales' leading homelessness and rough sleeping charity.
But the charity announced on Tuesday that it is selling the historic building and reinvesting the funds from the sale into frontline support. Estate agent Savills is marketing the Grade-II listed building for commercial development and says it has "potential for conversion into a number of uses".
Built in 1903 by a Cardiff architect, the historic Gothic-style building boasts Art Nouveau details, with buttresses, an imposing tower and windows with diamond glazing. It was converted to offices in 1993, according to Cadw, before the current owner took over the site in 2005 and transformed it into bespoke office accommodation. Its original features - including the stained glass windows, flooring, wood panelled walls, organ, and barrel vaulted roof - have been preserved. You can read all our Cardiff stories here.
It's been the headquarters of The Wallich for nearly 15 years. The organisation said that due to the hybrid home and office working pattern adopted by its staff during the pandemic, the need for face-to-face meetings and meeting rooms has decreased. As the organisation adapts "to this new reality and the benefits it offers", its headquarters will relocate to a smaller, standard rented office space.
It added that the funds from the sale of site will be invested into "new services to help more people across Wales in new and innovative ways". The charity's departure from the building comes a year after one of its shelters in the city, the Nightshelter in Riverside, which provided emergency accommodation for rough sleepers, was closed and turned into supported accommodation.
The three-storey 9,734 square feet property currently comprises an open-plan ground floor with offices and meeting rooms, including a private meeting room. Two staircases lead to another open-plan office space and individual offices on the first floor, with a suspended walkway leading to a separate office. The second floor also has offices, along with server and mechanical rooms. You can explore the space in 3D here.
There is also a kitchen, a lift providing access to each floor, and a gated car park at the back for up to 11 vehicles. The sale does not include the former chapel hall to the rear of the property. For more details, you can view the listing on Rightmove here.
The property is being sold be the Cardiff office of Savills. Gary Carver, director of business space, said: "The property has been exquisitely refurbished to provide unique office accommodation in the popular suburb of Pontcanna. It retains a number of original features such as the original organ, tower and stained glass windows. It also benefits from secure car parking for 11 cars. The property would suit an owner occupier or could potentially be suitable for alternative uses, subject to planning."
The Wallich CEO, Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce, said: “We have enjoyed being at the heart of the community and will miss our neighbors and the businesses which have supported us. We have loved hosting so many events and functions at our distinguished building. Now is the time for change. We hope the new owners of the building will be made to feel as welcome as we have for the past 15 years and will contribute to the thriving community." To get more stories like this sent straight to your inbox, sign up to our CardiffOnline newsletter here.
