Constantine Youth Centre Including Forecourt Area Walls And Gate Piers

This is a school building, dated 1836, which was later converted into a youth centre in the 20th century. The construction is of coursed granite rubble with granite dressings, topped with a grouted scantle slate roof featuring gabled ends and red clay ridge tiles. A truncated ventilator is above the ridge of the main range.

Originally, the plan comprised a main range with a two-story and attic cross-wing at the right end, which did not project significantly at the back but did slightly at the front. A single-story, gable-ended porch projects in the left-hand angle of the cross-wing. In the 20th century, internal floors and partitions were removed, creating a large, open hall.

The exterior presents a two-story, asymmetrical three-window range. The gable end of the cross-wing projects slightly on the right, with a single-story, gable-ended porch in the left-hand angle. Large, chamfered granite windows are present, most of the first-floor windows being blocked. Ground-floor windows have 20th-century three-light wooden frames. A narrow, blocked attic window is set within the gable end of the cross-wing and features a dripmould. The porch has a chamfered granite doorway with run-out stops, a 20th-century plank door on the left side and a small 20th-century sash window on the front gable end, set in a chamfered granite frame with a hoodmould and the datestone ‘1836’ above. The left-hand gable end has similar, blocked windows. The rear elevation features tall windows with unchamfered granite lintels; the right-hand window on the main range has a three-centred arch frame with spandrels.

The former playground area is enclosed by a low granite rubble wall with a cemented capping. There are two pairs of single granite monolith gate piers with semi-circular tops, and two wrought iron gates.

The interior now consists of a single large hall without floors or internal partitions. The building was originally constructed as a British School in 1836, operating on the Lancaster system. Charles Fox of Trebah in the parish was involved in the school’s establishment.