Muker Literary Institute And Attached Wall And Railings

The Muker Literary Institute, built in 1867, is a two-storey literary institute constructed from coursed rubble stone with ashlar dressings and a slate roof. It features coped gables with kneelers and a single gable stack, as well as quoins and a raised band. The lower room is accessed from the south, while the hall above is entered from the west. The west front includes a projecting porch leading to the upper hall, which is reached by a flight of six steps. The porch has a moulded round arched doorway with a keystone and chamfered jambs, along with a four-panel door. Above the doorway, there is a flat hood with a plain decorative top. The west front is crowned with a curved Dutch gable featuring kneelers and a ball finial. The south front also has two storeys and three windows. To the left, there is a round-headed doorway with a four-panel door and a plain fanlight, all within a plain ashlar surround that includes a keystone and moulded impost. To the right, there are two round-headed glazing bar sashes with similar surrounds and keystones. Above these, three pairs of plain sashes are set in ashlar surrounds with shouldered heads. Attached to the southwest corner is a stone retaining wall topped with spearhead railings.