History

Church Institute built 1915-16 by James Hughes, architect of Denbigh, former assistant of the County Surveyor Richard Lloyd Williams; dated 1915. Part now houses the Citizen's Advice Bureau.

Exterior

Large hall in loose Perpendicular style; of roughly cruciform plan with an elevated ground floor hall floor above a basement forming the main T-shaped part, with a 2-storey cross-wing adjoining at the upper, eastern end. Of uncoursed, squared and rock-faced limestone blocks, with yellow sandstone dressings. Slate roofs with slab-coped and kneelered gable parapets and stone gable cross to the W. At the junction of the main block with the transept-like N and S wings is an octagonal wooden cupola with leaded ogee roof and surmounting iron weathervane; 2-stage base and horizontal vent slats. Four-bay main block with projecting porches to the W gable end and the right-hand bay on the S side, the latter extruded in the angle with the S wing. The W porch is approached by 2 flights of railed and parapetted stone steps and has a coped stepped gable with 2-stage clasping buttresses. Pointed and chamfered entrance arch and vertical chamfered lights to the returns at main and basement levels. Flanking the porch are tall arched lights and in the gable apex is an oculus with label returned to the sides. The S porch projects slightly in front of the plain of the S wing gable and has a gable above the entrance with sloping copings returned and stepped-up to the L. Moulded Tudor-arched entrance with 2-light cusped-headed overlight above; recessed boarded door with decorative ironwork and arched recess with heraldic carving in the gable. Three-light mullioned and transomed leaded windows to the 4-bay sides, that occupied by the S porch with only its upper lights visible; these are cusped throughout. Alternate single and double-light windows to the basement, set below a plain stringcourse at lintel level. Large tripartite windows to the N and S wings, with 3-light main and single light flanking windows, transmullioned as before. In the S wing gable apex is an arched recess inscribed: 'Erected AD 1915.'

Two-storey gabled E block with 3-light transmullioned ground-floor window and 5-light mullioned first floor window to the main (S) side, the central light raised and cusped. Extruded between this and the S wing is an angled entrance with small square associated bay to the R. Gabled entrance with moulded basket arch and recessed doors as before; plain parapet and hipped roof extrusion to the one-window bay, with simple shouldered-arched lights to each face. Chimney and entrance to rear of upper cross wing.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as a well-designed early C20 Perpendicular-style former Church Institute in a prominent town-centre location.
Group value with other listed items at Lenten Pool.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29500763

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)