Exterior

History: Inscription plate records that the building was erected by public subscription in memory of Edward James, Third Earl of Powis, in 1893. It was designed by T.E.Price.

Exterior: 3 distinct elements: hall, stage area, and a service/entrance range to the rear. Local green granite, roughly coursed and squared. Graded slate roof over hall and stage area, with slightly swept profile, and stepped coped gable at SW. N elevation to street is symmetrically arranged with 3-light wood mullioned and transomed windows with segmental voussoir heads to either side of the inscription plate; outer doorways have paired doors with glazed upper panels in segmental archways: voussoir heads with etiolated keystones. Secondary entrance to left has battened plank door recessed in shallow archway. Low-relief Powis arms on inscription plate; above it hangs a wrought-iron bracketed lamp. Paired windows in right-hand gable return: 3-tier 2-light red-sandstone mullioned and transomed windows with segmentally pedimented heads, reputed to have come from Powis Castle. Stage area forms a cross-wing, recessed behind an earlier building to the left. Rear elevation has 3x3-light wood mullioned and transomed windows with leaded panes; 2 side wall stacks, breaking through the moulded eaves cornice. Stage area expressed as a recessed gabled cross wing, with tile-hanging in the gable, paired 3-tier wood mullioned and transomed windows with some leaded glazing. Projecting to the right is a flat-roofed single storeyed range with canted angle housing entrance: plank doorway in stepped voussoir arch beneath steep pedimented gable.

Interior: 5-bay hall with stylised hammer-beam trusses. Curved window embrasures alternate with similar arched fireplace recesses in the S wall. These have strongly moulded surrounds in a C18 idiom. Proscenium arch has Neo-classical detail. Dado panelling to platform, and an arched recess to its rear, housing a further C18-style fireplace.

Small forecourt to the front of the building is enclosed by a rusticated rubble wall, stepped in height. Terminal piers at either end, and gate piers towards centre, with ball finials. Paired cast-iron gates, and steps to doorways.

An excellent example of simplified Arts and Crafts design, using local materials, expressive planning and detail.

Reference: Richard Haslam, Powys, Buildings of Wales series, 1979, p.210.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29494300

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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