Abergele Community Centre

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the W side of the centre, facing the road, with the master's house to the rear.

History

Formerly the Church School, designed 1869-1870 by G E Street, architect of London, and built at the expense of Robert Bamford Hesketh of Gwrych Castle. Altered by the addition of a later corridor in front of the main block providing independent circulation, probably by the same architect. Later it became the Junior School, and was eventually closed in 1972, becoming the Community Centre. It is comparable with the same architect's school at Towyn of 1871, also built at the expense of the Hesketh family.

Exterior

Gothic former school. Built of polygonal shaped blocks of limestone with oolitic dressings, and a zig-zag patterned blue and green slate roofs with serrated ridge tiles with metal roof ventilators. Two blocks parallel with the road, and forward wings at each end forming a 'U'-plan. The main range has three recessed entrances within segmental headed openings; double panelled doors, the upper half paned. To the left, octagonal ashlar bellcote with an open bell stage, and a stone spire with four small lucarnes. Three stacks with canted shoulders rising to tall octagonal flues. The rear range has two dormers with hipped roofs and iron finials. The windows are stone mullioned with two-centred heads, each light with a trefoil head, five-light and transomed to each forward wing. The sill drip moulding steps over the side door in the rear wing, forming a hood moulding.

The enclosing wall is of limestone, low at the front with flush copings carrying iron railings between end piers, and returns at the sides with heavy stone-on-edge copings.

Interior

The front corridor has a open rafter roof, and an arch-braced roof leading to the original main entrance to the cross hall, a pointed arch of 2 chamfered orders and a boarded door with fine ironwork. A similar door leads to the schoolroom on the right. Some original stone fireplaces.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural and historic interest as a good example of a larger Church school by a nationally important C19 architect.

Group value with the adjacent Schoolmaster's House.