Corris Institute

Cadw's description

Location

The Institute is built at the lowest point of the main street, on the W side of the road and near the S bank of the Afon Deri, at the centre of the village,

History

The building was erected in 1911 as a community and local administrative centre, later adopted as a memorial to the Great War.

Exterior

Pebbledashed over stone, with rendered quoins to the ground floor, timber framed upper floor with whitewashed panels. Slate roofs. Late medieval vernacular revival style. The elevation to the road consists of 3 unequal bays, the left (S) set asymmetrically with a 3-light iron framed window in a rendered quoined surround on the ground floor, a similar but unaligned 4-light window set in the framing of the first floor under a wide studded gable. The centre bay, to the right, has a projecting porch open on the ground floor with large bracketed posts forming an arch. Within, a boarded and studded door on strap hinges set within an arch, and to either side, narrow iron windows. Brackets over support the jettied first floor, which has a canted oriel window. The gable is further jettied and studded, with deep eaves. An upper bracketed beam carries an iron inscription reading 1939-1945, a glazed clock is suspended from a lower iron bracket. The narrower third bay has 3-light windows on the ground floor and a similar window over. Applied to the first bay, a slate and marble 1st World War tablet with 24 names, and a smaller tablet with 9 names within the open porch commemorates those lost in the 2nd World War. The return elevation on the S side has two small gables over 3-light windows, each with some puntil panes, and double doors in an arched opening in the end bay. A bracketed chimney stack rises from the first floor near the centre, the upper shafts removed. The rear consists of 2 unequal rendered gables with similar windows to the first floor, and a large hipped slated extension on the ground floor.

Interior

The front door opens to an oak panelled through hall, with timber partition on the left to the main assembly hall, which has a raised stage and a lateral slate fireplace with overmantel. Open well timber stair to the first floor, which has a large billiards room with raised side seating and open roof, and a library in a rear room. In the entrance, a stone panel affixed to the wall records the date of foundation and endowments given by Sir Howell J Williams, of London.

Reason for designation

Included as an early example of the social and community institution that became significant in the early C20, and as a well-detailed essay in the timber framed revival style considered apt for this building type.