The Passmore Edwards Institute

This List Entry was subjected to a Minor Amendment on 15/12/2016

HAYLE HAYLE TERRACE (north side), Hayle SW 5637-5737 11/111 Nos 13 and 15 (The Passmore - Edwards Institute)

GV II Literary institute. Foundation stone laid 1893, officially opened in April 1896 by Mrs Passmore Edwards wife of the donor. Designed by Silvanus Trevail. Dressed granite brought to course, granite ashlar and granite dressings. U-plan dry Delabole slate roof with 2 pedimented gables at the front with parapet between and hipped ends at the rear. Brick chimney over rear right-hand corner. Plan: Rectangular plan with 2 deep parallel wings linked at the front by a central entrance and stair hall and linked by internal service rooms behind stair hall. Classical style details. Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 1:1:1 bay south front with central entrance porch with round-headed doorway. Rock-faced granite except for the rusticated granite ashlar framing the first floor windows at left and right, and the granite dressings of the architectural details. Original windows and doors. Leaded glazed tympanum over double doors with patterned panels. Central bay behind the porch is set back from the wider flanking bays. Parapet over the central bay has: PASSMORE EDWARDS in relief and the word INSTITUTE in the parapet of the porch. Left and right hand bays have moulded plinths, mid-floor strings, moulded parapet cornices and triangular pediments. Tripatite windows with granite mullions. Ground floor windows have central triangular pediments on consoles attached to the mullions. First floor windows are Venetian style with round arched and are flanked by pairs of ashlar pilasters. Transomed wooden mullioned windows-within the granite surrounds. Side elevations have 4 windows on each floor. Plinths, mid floor and moulded eaves cornices linked to parapet cornices of the front. Interior: little altered since built with fine original open-well open-string staircase; pitch-pine dado panelling; panelled doors and doorcases and large cast-iron Cornish range in rear right-hand room. From a humble home in a little Cornish village (Blackwater) Passmore Edwards became a city journalist and lecturer; M.P. for Salisbury, Editor of a leading London newspaper, life-long champion of the working-classes and is remembered mainly as a Benefactor Extraordinary (Best). In the biography by E.H. Burrage, he says of Passmore Edwards speeches: "one may be sagacious without being liberal, or liberal without being sagacious, but to be both lifts one high above the plane of the majority of men". Hayle Institute is the largest of 4 institutes given by Passmore Edwards in Cornwall and one of many buildings designed for him by his architect friend, the Cornish architect, Silvanus Trevail. Sources: The Life and Good works of John Passmore Edwards by R.S. Best; Hayle Town Council.

Listing NGR: SW5610637696