Former Workmen's Hall and Institute

Former Workmen's Hall and Institute

This is a large building with a symmetrical, classical-style front, built of Flemish bond brick under slate roofs with pale reconstituted stone dressings. The front elevation comprises three bays on three storeys, flanked by one-and-a-half-storey wings. The bays of the main range are marked by four full-height Ionic pilasters, with quoin strips to the side wings. The roof to the front has a flat profile with parapets returning to the sides and a dentilled eaves cornice. Moulded string courses run across each storey, and a plinth marks the base.

The central bay is distinguished by an open pediment with a stepped parapet behind it. A Venetian window sits beneath the pediment, while the middle storey features a canted bay containing a large dressed three-light window. The ground floor doorway is positioned between two free-standing Ionic columns on square bases, which support the pilasters above. The doorway has dressed jambs and is metal shuttered, approached by stone steps. The flanking bays contain tall windows with pale stone architraves and horizontal wooden glazing bars; the top storey has shorter paired windows with colonnettes and continuous flat lintels composed of voussoirs. Boarded doors with overlights occupy the outer sides of the front, with dressings matching the windows. The side wings have similar but smaller windows to each storey, although the right wing ground floor is boarded over. A frieze across the front, below the first floor string course, bears the inscription "Workmens Hall Institute". The outer bays and wings each incorporate two foundation stones immediately above the plinth, dated 13th January 1923 and laid by local dignitaries including W.H. Le Grand Chambers, director of Bedwas Navigation Colliery (those to the right wing are now boarded over).

Behind the façade, the building is long with a pitched roof hipped behind the parapet. Two metal ridge vents with conical tops are present. A lean-to extends to the rear, with ends projecting beyond the side walls of the main range, covered by an asbestos cement roof. Each side wall features four high-level lunettes lighting the cinema, some boarded, beyond which is a rectangular window almost reaching the eaves, probably lighting the circle. External fire-escape metal doors with metal stairs are positioned to each side. A planked side door in the east wall serves as the entrance and has a moulded doorcase with a pediment. Paired and single horned sash windows under shallow segmental heads with gauged brickwork are found on the ground floor. The rear lean-to contains doors and windows to the ground and first floors, many with simple horizontal glazing bars.

Internally, the ground floor functions as an arts and community centre, with access from the side entrance in the east wall. From this entrance, the front hall lies to the left. Short passages lead to the outer front doors, with small ante chambers flanking the central entrance bay and lined with polished grey marble tiles up to picture rail height. The entrance passageway from the east returns towards the north, with large meeting rooms opening off both sides and toilets and service rooms to the rear. The second room to the left features moulded plaster beams and pronounced plaster coving. Partitions between rooms and passageway are partly glazed, with doors either panelled or boarded and fitted with overlights. The first floor contains a cinema with circle, now used as a theatre and dance hall.