Costain Buildings at Rydal School

Costain Building and Memorial Hall at Rydal School, Colwyn Bay

Coursed and squared sandstone rubble with plain tiled roofs. 2 storeyed, L-plan, with low corner towner at angle. Simplified Tudor detailing. On the courtyard side, the N range has a gable marking its W angle, with canted bay window with mullioned and transomed lights, and paired windows above. Beyond it is a cloister of 5 bays, with small 2 and 3-light mullioned windows in the upper storey. High parapet. W-facing range is similarly detailed, with 3x3-light mullioned and transomed windows to ground floor, and similar windows above. Segmentally arched doorway to right gives access to broad through-passage which forms the lobby of the Memorial Hall. Street elevations have a more detailed relief, with wide mullioned and transomed windows in each bay, divided by blind traceried panels. Corner tower has angle buttresses and oriel windows in 2 faces, and is surmounted by an embattled parapet. Memorial Hall has 3 high-set lights to its left, with quatrefoil frieze above, then is articulated as 3 bays, divided by buttresses which terminate in coupled finials; each bay has a 3-tier 2-light mullioned and transomed window. Buttressed fly-tower to the S, with very narrow lights and a shallow pyramidal roof behind a parapet. Its austere S-facing elevation is relieved by a series of slight pilaster buttresses.

Coursed and squared sandstone rubble with plain tiled roofs. 2 storeyed, L-plan, with low corner towner at angle. Simplified Tudor detailing. On the courtyard side, the N range has a gable marking its W angle, with canted bay window with mullioned and transomed lights, and paired windows above. Beyond it is a cloister of 5 bays, with small 2 and 3-light mullioned windows in the upper storey. High parapet. W-facing range is similarly detailed, with 3x3-light mullioned and transomed windows to ground floor, and similar windows above. Segmentally arched doorway to right gives access to broad through-passage which forms the lobby of the Memorial Hall. Street elevations have a more detailed relief, with wide mullioned and transomed windows in each bay, divided by blind traceried panels. Corner tower has angle buttresses and oriel windows in 2 faces, and is surmounted by an embattled parapet. Memorial Hall has 3 high-set lights to its left, with quatrefoil frieze above, then is articulated as 3 bays, divided by buttresses which terminate in coupled finials; each bay has a 3-tier 2-light mullioned and transomed window. Buttressed fly-tower to the S, with very narrow lights and a shallow pyramidal roof behind a parapet. Its austere S-facing elevation is relieved by a series of slight pilaster buttresses.

The Costain Building is planned with corridors along its two inner faces (serving as a cloister on the N range), and retains the original internal layout.