Parish Hall (also known as Carnegie Hall)

Parish Hall (also known as Carnegie Hall)

A free classical style hall built in 1906 of snecked rock-faced grey stone with rendered side walls on a dressed stone plinth and slate roof. It comprises a single range with a prominent 2-storey 3-bay gable-entrance facade, with single-storey side walls. Stone dressings are painted white.

The facade features narrow outer bays supporting a triangular pediment broken by a wide segmentally arched tripartite window to the central bay. The outer bays are slightly advanced and have rusticated pilaster strips and billeted cornices, each containing an oval window set in an architrave with scrollwork in relief. In the pediment is a scrolled ribbon reading 'Coreu Arf - Arf Dysc' (the best tools are the tools for learning), and a clock. A large square-section finial to the gable apex has a domed cap and dentilled arches to each face.

The lower storey is advanced and contains a 3-bay porch. The porch was originally open, with four octagonal columns supporting a moulded cornice, segmentally arched over the central doorway and raised over the central columns in the form of capitals. These bear in relief 'AD' to the left and '1906' to the right. The outer parts of the cornice have foliate decoration in relief. The doorway now contains late 20th-century partly-glazed double doors, while the outer sides of the porch are infilled, each with a small window. The narrow outer bays, aligned with those above, have rusticated quoin strips with dentilled capstones and a narrow cornice with waved moulding. Each contains a lunette window.

The east side wall has six window openings, all with segmental heads, a continuous hoodmould and multi-pane metal-framed windows. The second window from the right has a doorway inserted partly beneath it. A short narrow rear range is offset to the east and appears as a lean-to from the front. A boarded door to the south front stands under a segmental head, with a late 20th-century window to the east side. A large flat-roofed library adjoins to the rear. The west side bears two windows as the east side and the jambs of a third, to the left of which is a late 20th-century lean-to extension. An early photograph shows four windows with segmental heads, to the left of which there were four narrow round-arched lights.

The interior consists of an open hall with a stage at the north end featuring a panelled barrel roof. The moulded wooden ribs are supported on tall corbels set between the window openings. The roof has been strengthened by thin steel tie bars. Two pairs of moulded plaster ceiling roses are decorated with flowers and foliage. A low dado rail with panelling beneath, blockwork floor and boarded doors are present. A doorway at the north end of the west side leads into a late 20th-century extension, to the left of which are three infilled windows, originally external. Two offices to the rear were formerly occupied by the librarian.

The south windows contain Art Nouveau stained glass depicting vines. At the north end on the stage, a war memorial and three brass plaques are fixed to the wall beneath a segmental arch. The war memorial is of exceptional design by an unknown artist. It is of cast iron with a moulded arched head and bears figures in relief. Two columns of names are flanked by pilasters bearing rifles and flags. Above is an inscription reading 'Erected / To the glory of God and in proud memory of those men of this parish who gave their lives ... during the Great War'. Above this is a nurse flanked by a rifleman and a naval officer with ships in the distance. Beneath the names is a biplane and a festoon. Flanking these are '1914' and '1918' over a daffodil and leek, respectively. The brass plaques to the left and above are memorials to the Second World War and the Falkland Islands War. That to the right records the opening of the library.

The hall was erected through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie, who presented £1,500 for the purpose. It was opened on 1st September 1906 by the parish councillors and the Reverend John Jenkins.