Towyn and Kinmel Bay Youth Club

Cadw's description

Location

One of a group of 3 buildings, set facing the main Rhyl to Abergele Road, immediately E of Sandbank Road at the centre of Towyn.

History

Built in 1871 as the first element in the group of buildings designed by G E Street, architect of London, for Robert Bamford Hesketh of Gwrych Castle for the newly formed parish of Towyn. The school cost £2,000. G E Street, like Butterfield, designed a number of such groups including a school for new settlements or wealthy individuals; the Towyn group is clearly second only to Boyne Hill, Maidenhead, for the quality of both its architecture and the grouping, and being the last of his career, may be said to have profited from over 20 years of professional experience.

Exterior

Built in a Gothic style, of polygonal local limestone with oolitic limestone dressings, and a blue and green zig-zag patterned slate roof with pierced clayware ridges. The school occupies the central block and a forward wing towards the W end, with the master's house in the E wing forming a 'U'-plan. Single storey ablution block detached to the rear. The central block is long, with low set corner buttresses and the entrance to the school on the right, recessed behind an open Gothic doorway against the master's house. Three-light trefoil headed windows either side of a central projecting stack, which offsets above the eaves to form a small gable originally rising to an octagonal stone stack. The W wing has a 3-light transomed and traceried window with hood moulding set on a mid-wall string. The slightly wider E wing has stone mullioned windows to both floors of the house, embraced in a chamfered frame, with a stair window to the right. To the left of the school entrance, a tall diagonally set fleche-like bellcote clad in lead. The entrance to the master's house is on the E; an ogee moulded doorhead, and stone dressed windows. The tall stone octagonal chimneys to the central hall and the wings have been dismantled, but remain on site.

Interior

Behind the entrance porch, a small room, probably cloakroom, has a stone moulded doorway lead out to the rear. The master's house has a stone fireplace in the front living room.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II* as one of the three important elements in this outstanding group of buildings by a pre-eminent Victorian architect.