Central Community Centre

Community centre, the central block built in 1862 as the Armoury for the Great Western Railway works; converted to create a hospital for GWR workers, incorporating flanking workers’ cottages in 1871; converted to community centre after 1960. Rear range built in 1975 to replace earlier rear extensions.

MATERIALS: limestone ashlar central range, coursed Swindon stone rubble for flanking ranges; slate roofs.

PLAN: the building has a large, central hall, flanked by former cottages, with reordered plans. A narrower range runs parallel along the rear of the whole.

EXTERIOR: the building is of two storeys and nine window bays. Windows are a mixture of horned and hornless sashes. The central section, originally constructed as the armoury and drill hall, is in limestone ashlar, with three window bays, all windows and doors under hood moulds. The central entrance has C20 multi-paned double doors, flanked by eight-over-eight sashes. The first-floor windows above are six-over-six sashes, and between them, a carved scroll inscribed MEDICAL FUND HOSPITAL. Below this, applied later-C20 lettering for CENTRAL COMMUNITY CENTRE. The shallow parapet roof has shaped kneelers. The range has rectangular gable end stacks, with diamond-set shafts. The flanking ranges, formerly GWR workers’ cottages, are constructed from coursed limestone rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings, each have a central doorway with C20 multi-paned doors, flanked by one tripartite window with chamfered stone mullions, and one eight-over-eight sash window. Above are eight-over-eight and ten-over-ten sashes. Each former cottage has gable end stacks with diagonal set shafts to match those to the main range. The left return is blind apart from a doorway to left. The right return has paired sash windows to each of the ground and first floors, towards the rear. The rear range, largely built in 1975, is single-storey and has a lower, pitched roof, to allow for the rear first-floor windows in the main range. The returns are constructed in coursed limestone rubble, with the rear wall completed in reconstituted North Cerney stone. Windows are tripartite sashes.

INTERIOR: the main hall is full height, a single space which was originally the drill hall, with inserted suspended ceiling. A window in the wall between the hall and the former cottage to the west allowed observation of the hospital ward by medical staff. The former cottages to either side have been largely reordered for their subsequent uses, with an altered plan form. The layout of the rear range reflects its construction in 1975 for use with the community centre, for which it houses the service areas. The buildings in the main range have C19 king post roofs.