The Institute

Cadw's description

Location

Situated attached to the left end of No 1 Arthur Street.

History

Institute given to the town by David Davies MP, of Llandinam, in 1924. The site was given by Nicholas Fairles Humphreys and the building was designed by Ridge & Haynes of Oswestry, costing about £4,000. A timber-framed wheelwright's shop was on the site previously. The building plans show that it included public baths, a library and newsroom, committee rooms, refreshment room, lock-up shop, billiard room, temperance bar, and caretaker's accommodation. Old photographs show the oak windows painted white. Still in use as library and meeting room.

Exterior

Institute, painted roughcast on dark brick plinth, with slate eaves roof, yellow terracotta half-round ridge tiles, and oak bargeboards. Two storeys withwide projecting gable to right and single-storey projection in its angle with the main range to left. Gable has a roundel plaque with crossed keys on shield over a first floor oak 6-light leaded window with centre transom. Gable left return has door onto flat-roof of ground floor projection (originally with a timber balcony). Ground floor of gabled bay is timbered with moulded cornice and entablature over three cambered headed openings, the middle one broad with a big 35-pane fixed window, between Tudor-arched entries to deeply recessed Tudor-headed doors. Projection to left, in front of main range, is stepped, the right side coming out to line of ground floor right with entablature continued over a roughcast short wall with two leaded windows and brick plinth. Windowless return, then oak-mullioned corner window on higher brick base with four lights to front and one to N return. The timber entablature and cornice is continued over. 6-light oak mullioned and transomed window in first floor.
The left gable end has mock jettying with the entablature carried around on moulded brackets. Two three-light mullion windows to left. A rear wing to left of two bays, two storeys with lower eaves has three-light casement each floor to right, two-light to left over Tudor-headed door in timber doorcase of fluted pilasters, entablature and cornice. Six-panel door.
Rear of wing has ground floor lean-to. Rear of main range has big mullion-and-transom oak window to first floor left and long stair light in angle to right.

Stone setts in front.

Interior

Library in main front room.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a well-designed smaller public building in vernacular C17 style, retaining good original detail.