Youth Hostel

The building at 36 Carter Lane, formerly St Paul's Choir School, was constructed in 1874 by F.C. Penrose. It features white brick, terracotta, and plaster with sgraffito decoration. The structure has two main storeys and two dormered storeys in the roof. The long principal elevation facing Carter Lane is symmetrical below the cornice level and showcases a complex rhythm of shallow projecting bays of unequal width. The facade incorporates Renaissance elements, including Venetian and round windows, round leaded doorways, and niches. The ground floor openings are adorned with sgraffito decoration on the intervening wall surfaces, while the first-floor openings have terracotta surrounds, some of which are pedimented, set within brickwork that includes plain brick panels of shallow projection. A continuous sgraffito frieze at the first-floor level bears the legend "MIHI AUTEM ABSIT GLORIARE." The terminal bays are highlighted by deep bracketed cornices, whereas the other bays feature plain brick parapets with moulded copings. The entrance bay at the east end has a parapet above the cornice and is topped by a tall lucerne with a prominent pilastered surround and a semi-circular pedimental head. The return elevation to Dean's Court is plainer but continues the frieze with the inscription and has a bracketed cornice.