St Beuno's College

St Beuno's College

The college is designed in response to sloping ground to stand on three levels. Built in 19th-century Tudor style, it is constructed in sneck-coursed local limestone ashlar with slate roofs. Where gables occur, they are coped, and chimneys are square, except those of the main south range which have diagonally set shafts of Tudor form.

The original entrance elevation to the west consists of a four-storey tower and a contemporary range to its right; a similar range to the left is a late 19th-century addition. The tower contains a Tudor-arched doorway with moulding surmounted by the Recording Angel. Taller Tudor-arched windows flank this doorway. Above is a two-storey canted-sided oriel with mullion and transom windows; a string course at the mid-height of the oriel continues the eaves line of the roof on each side. The top storey contains two windows, and the tower is crowned by a parapet above a cornice.

Both the original range to the right and the later range to the left are of two storeys with attic dormers—five windows to the left, four to the right. The later work has been designed to bring the original elevation close to symmetry. The upper storey has mullion and transom windows with traceried heads; the lower windows are clusters of four single lights. The dormer windows have steel casements. To the right is the flank of the original library, now known as Capel y coed.

The south elevation climbs the hill from left to right. At the left is the gable end of the original library at the lowest ground level. Then follows a four-window range of two storeys and attic, and a six-window range of three storeys and attic, both based at the middle ground level. Gables and dormers alternate in the attic. The main windows are all small, pointed and paired, with recent double-glazing.

A chapel lies to the east at the upper ground level, featuring a round apse and a slate roof with crested tiles. It has two-light traceried windows and a single opening bellcote at the west with a bell.

The main quadrangle sits on two levels separated by a retaining wall, mostly at the middle ground level, with a small formal garden around a lawn. The east range overlooking this quadrangle has mullion windows above and mullion and transom windows below, the latter with iron casements and quarry glazing. The refectory range to the north side has high-level two-light windows, also in iron and quarry glazed, and modern rooflights.

Additions from 1873 comprise a north-west wing defining a new entrance courtyard at the north. The east side of this wing now includes the main entrance at middle ground level, approached by a large spreading flight of entrance stairs. The entrance itself is Tudor-arched with an oak screen, containing a door to the left with tracery above. Five gables crown this range, the central one over the door slightly advanced. The upper storey is jettied on segmental arches and plain columns forming an arcade. The range opposite, on the east side of the entrance courtyard, is a service building with a large archway incorporating a pseudo-portcullis and roof ventilators at each end. A storage range, built after 1871 and recently rebuilt, stands to the north. The refectory's north elevation facing this courtyard features Tudor-headed mullion and transom windows with iron quarry lights and buttresses between, with small dormers to the attic.

Interiors are generally plain, with only the main beams of upper floors exposed and braced. Many fireplaces are of simple Tudor form, as are many doors. Corridors generally have vault-form ceilings. The refectory contains a cast-iron pulpit at its north-west corner.

The chapel is in Perpendicular style and is reached from the main part by a short flight of steps. It comprises a nave, sanctuary and side chapel. The main roof is of hammer-beam type with angels carved on the ends of the hammer-beams, and the sanctuary is fan-vaulted. A rock altar has been recently installed within the nave.