Literary And Scientific Institute

The Literary and Scientific Institute, dated 1865, was built for John Sinkins and designed by architect J Hine, with Carr and Pickford as builders. This three-storey building is constructed of ashlar stone and has a wedge-shaped form on a sloping site, featuring a rounded corner that faces the Market Place. The ground and first floors have a channelled finish, with moulded strings above the plinth and at the impost levels. Each floor is topped with moulded cornices and bracket modillions beneath the slate roof eaves. The entrance is highlighted by an enriched tympanum that is dated and set at the corner, which is accentuated by a slight full-height break. The façade consists of one bay plus six bays, with arcades on the ground and second floors. The first floor features Caernarvon arches with brackets supporting moulded stone heads for balconies above, along with leaf capitals and columns on the ground floor, and pilasters on the first and second floors. There are two doorways on the east front of the ground floor, separated by an arcade of windows. The end elevation is partly rendered, and the second floor has a blind arcade. Inside, there is a stone staircase located at the tip of the wedge, which is cantilevered and features cast-iron balusters and a sweeping handrail. The building is illustrated in "The Architect" from August 7, 1869.