Mountain Ash Workman's Club and Institute

Cadw's description

Location

In the town centre on the main street, on a corner site with the road leading to the railway station.

History

Former Hotel, variously called The Grand or Dyffryn, patronised in its heyday by celebrities, including Dame Nellie Melba. The nearby former Pavilion staged world title boxing and the hotel accommodated the competitors. Appears much as at present in photo of 1890. Ground and first floor interior refurbished in 1960s. The Mountain Ash Workman''s Club and Institute was established in the early 1900s in other premises and moved to the hotel in 1930s.

Exterior

Tall former hotel in Italian palazzo style. Of colour-washed rendered stone with render dressings; hipped shallow-pitched triple-pile slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, red brick corniced stacks. Plan of roughly rectangular main block and side wing to rear. Four storeys and cellar/basement, to rear the basement is at ground level. Design of main Oxford Street frontage extends along side elevation facing station approach. 6 window range to main frontage, 5 to side. Top floor windows are blind round-arched with moulded sills and continous impost band; second floor windows are 2/2 pane sashes set back in deep moulded architraves with continuous moulded sillband; first floor windows each have a shallow but heavy pediment with keystone, console brackets and panelled architraves, similar sashes to front (3 at centre left blocked), altered to side. Ground floor is rusticated with entablature above and plinth at base, incorporating basement windows as ground falls to side. Originally the entrance frontage had doors at left and right with 4 windows between, all round-arched and separated by rusticated pilasters: doorway to left retained though unused has panelled doorways and leaded coloured glass overlight; original main entrance doorway to right is now converted to window; other windows retain sills but with altered glazing.

Interior

Interior retains original hallway though main entrance is now through former adjacent shop and original entrance is blocked though very decorative flat arch retained. Fine open well staircase with very decorative and deeply moulded baroque-style mahogany newel posts, moulded balusters, decorative treads and deep swept handrail. Main lounges and bars altered but some door surrounds and ceiling cornices retained; billiard room retains frosted glass swing doors. Original doorway and stairs down to cellar/basement: cellar formerly partly used as stables with channelled stable-tile floor; basement has purpose-built skittle alley. First floor hall refurbished. The two upper floors have not been altered and although partly derelict retain their original layout and many fittings, notably door and window surrounds with architraves with roundels, panelled doors, some fireplaces, gas mantles, dumb waiter, ceiling hooks, water pump, linen cupboard.

Reason for designation

Included as a former large-scale hotel from the period when the steam-coal trade of Mountain Ash was at its height, retaining its character externally and despite partial later interior refurbishment interesting fittings and features including a rare purpose-built skittle alley.