Former St Annes College Of Further Education

This is a former College of Further Education, dated 1907, with near-contemporary additions and minor late 20th-century alterations. It was designed by Henry Littler, County Architect, for Lancashire County Council, and built by Thomas Cottam of Preston. The building is constructed of smooth red Accrington brick with ashlar sandstone quoining and dressings. Features include tall ridge chimneys with oversailing moulded caps, three lead-covered cupolas, and hipped roofs with Westmorland slate coverings laid in diminishing courses.

The building is arranged with an L-shaped plan, the original range facing north and an addition extending southwards from the east end. The north front is asymmetrical, with three bays over a basement. A central entrance is approached by a flight of steps with ramped flanking walls. The double doorway is set within a semi-circular arch headed opening in an ashlar surround. Flanking attached Ionic columns support a frieze with a plaque bearing the date 1907. Double doors with a semi-circular overlight sit within the arch, which has a scrolled keyblock. A cornice above forms part of a continuous cill band to the upper floor. Above this, a transomed window rises through the eaves line, with coupled 4-over-4 pane sashes and 4-pane pivot overlights, set between wide pilasters, each topped with a cartouche and supported by a segmental pediment. Four-over-four pane sashes are located on either side. To the right is a further segmental pediment headed window with a 4-over-4 pane sash. Below are 4-over-4 pane sashes with 2-pane overlights within flat arch headed openings. A projecting gabled bay to the left of the doorway features ball finials to the coped gable and a segmental pediment to the gable apex, containing a Coat of Arms in relief carving. A wide Venetian window is located on the first floor above a pair of 6-over-6 pane sashes. A moulded string course connects the cills. Below the cill band, an inscribed plaque records the building's opening. Basement windows have segmental arches.

The east side elevation is five bays wide, with segmental pediments over the heads of the first-floor transomed windows, each flanked by narrow lights. The ground-floor openings are grouped 3:2:4:3:3. A mid-roof coping delineates a later addition to the right of the second bay.

The interior retains original features, including stained glass by Steward of Lancaster in the stair window and overlight to the main entrance, moulded plasterwork, and decorative tiling. The upper-floor Art Room features exposed roof trusses supported by arch braced corbel posts.

The building is a well-detailed and prominently sited example, reflecting the scale of educational provision by the County Education Authority for a rapidly expanding community at St Anne’s. It forms part of a notable group with the Carnegie Library and the Church of St. Thomas.