Twyn County Junior School

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the angle of East View and Southern Street. Surrounded by the playground, with the infants school of 1906 immediately to the W.

History

School dated 1922, a late example of the Baroque revival style. By D Pugh Jones, Glamorgan County Architect, who designed several schools in Caerphilly. From the inscriptions above the doors it appears that girls occupied the ground floor, using the side entrances, whilst boys occupied the 1st floor, accessed from the front.

Exterior

Four ranges around a central courtyard. The front faces N and contains a central block which is higher and projects slightly. Two-storey, with basement to front continuing as plinth to sides. Coursed rock-faced stone with sandstone dressings: quoin strips, sill bands, impost bands and lintels. Slate roof, wide modillion eaves. Rusticated stone to basement storey. Symmetrical front, 5-window central block flanked by lower 4-window ranges with hipped roofs. Central cupola with bell surmounted by globe and weather vane. The central entrance bay is in ashlar, above which is a large open segmental pediment. It contains a recessed tympanum bearing foliage in relief. The upper and middle storey windows have large keystones and pediments supported on consoles, triangular to the upper storey and segmental below. Segmental arched opening into basement storey with large keystone, above which is a tablet bearing a shield and the inscription 'Glamorgan County Council, 1922'. Upper storey windows are horned 8-over-12 pane sashes under flat lintels; 12-pane sashes with 8-pane opening lights to ground floor. Segmental lintels with keystones to middle and basement storeys. Basement openings contain iron railing gates to central and R bays, infill with small windows to L bays. The flanking ranges generally contain 24-pane horned sashes under flat lintels. Shorter windows to basement storey, some altered or converted to doors, with segmental lintels. The 2nd bays from the centre contain 2-storey porches with pilasters and an entablature. Each has planked double doors with overlight under a round arch with tympanum. Small 6-pane window above.

The W range is 12-window with a stack. Door in 2nd bay from left with inscription above 'merched', 24-pane sash windows under flat heads. E range as W but no windows at far S end; some windows replaced or doors inserted. The rear range is 12-window, with projecting ends with hipped swept roofs. The E end is 4-window, the W end has 1 window offset to the R. Impost band and eaves cornice.

The walls facing into the courtyard are of yellow brick. The central front block housing the hall and gymnasium is 5-window with modillion eaves. The upper storey windows are 8-over-12 pane sashes under flat sandstone lintels. The lower storey windows are 16-pane horned sashes with 8-pane lights above, under segmental stone lintels. A 2-storey covered walk-way provides access to the remaining ranges and is reached from staircases flanking the central entrance block. Constructed of narrow full-height iron columns supporting an almost flat lean-to roof; closely spaced iron railing to 1st floor gallery. Multi-pane windows to upper storey with flat sandstone lintels, partly above and partly below lean-to roof. The lower storey has 16-pane horned sashes with 8-pane lights above. Half-lit doors into classrooms at intervals.

Interior

The central block contains a hall on the 1st floor and a gymnasium. The hall is entered by double doors at each end and has an arched brace roof and boarded ceiling. Pilasters between windows with scrolled capitals. Dado rail with brown glazed tiles below. On the N wall is a roll of honour, an ornate marble tablet with arched head, to the old boys who fell in the Great War (which must have come from an earlier Twyn School). Stair wells with brown glazed tiles.

Reason for designation

Listed as an inter-war school of considerable architectural character, the plan form and the Baroque style detail being exceptional for this period.