Ebbw Vale Adult Education Centre

Cadw's description

Location

Occupies wide frontage on W side of Church Street, opposite Penuel Chapel. Set behind shallow forecourt.

History

Built 1853-55 as the Literary and Scientific Institute, by the Ebbw Vale Iron Company. An institute was set up in 1849 in the vestry of Penuel Chapel, which soon became inconveniently small. The group set about raising funds for a new building, and in July 1852, Thomas Brown, ironmaster of Ebbw Vale, agreed to provide a site and building. The building cost £3000, and included a lecture hall, reading room, library, museum, and three classrooms. By 1878, membership had risen to 200, and a new wing was added in 1884, containing a laboratory. Possibly this refers to the S end. In 1904, a new lecture theatre was added to the rear. By 1931, the steelworks had ceased to fund the institute, and the upper floor was leased to the county council. Now used as an Adult Education Centre.

Exterior

Rubble construction, slate roofs. The chimneys have been removed, but illustrations show original shafted flues set on broad plinths. Very long facade of eleven bays and two storeys. Central five projecting bays are higher, with decorative bargeboards to wide gable each side of narrow entrance bay. Windows with stone voussoired cambered heads: all glazing replaced in plastic. The floor levels of the S three bays is slightly lower, suggesting that they are later additions. Small attic windows to gables, blocked to left. Central round-arched door with radiating fanlight. Left elevation, including rear wing, is rendered. Rear hall set parallel to central bays has slightly higher ridge-line and tall full-height windows. Between fourth and fifth bays to right is reset small cast-iron drinking fountain dated 1886 to back-plate: projecting semi-circular fluted pedestal with spout below decorative terminal.

Interior

Little original detail inside. Rear lecture hall has flat boarded ceiling divided into panels by heavy moulded ribs.

Reason for designation

Despite modernisations, listed as a rare survival of a later C19 literary and scientific institute, which, like the parish church nearby, was provided by the Ebbw Vale Iron Company.