The Drama Centre (former King Henry VIII Grammar School)

The Drama Centre, formerly known as King Henry VIII Grammar School, is a building constructed from coursed rock-faced red sandstone rubble with yellow ashlar dressings. It features natural slate roofs adorned with tile cresting and stone stacks. The main range of the building runs north-south, with a central entrance flanked by the Hall on the south and two Schoolrooms on the north, all having ridges at right angles. Designed in the Tudor Gothic style, the building reflects the character of its founder. It is a single-storey structure, with the main rooms open to the roof.

The main elevation has twelve windows, with the first five from the left being part of a 1904 extension. This elevation includes a combination of three and two-light windows, all featuring mullion-and-transom designs and cusped heads. The Schoolrooms have paired gables with decorative panelling, each gable showcasing a large 4-centred 4-light window with a continuous dripmould. The four entrance bays are recessed, with a canted bay for the Master's Study, which has 2 + 2 + 2 lights, and flanking 3-light windows. The entrance is highlighted by octagonal turrets on either side, a recessed porch with a 4-centred head, and four lights above, topped with pepper-pot features. The Hall gable is taller and includes a large 5-light window.

The building has steeply pitched roofs with several fine panelled stacks, although the belvedere lantern over the Hall has been removed. The left return features a short plain wing with an additional chimney, while the right return of the Hall has buttresses and paired gables with a 3-light window that matches the overall character. The rear elevation has simpler windows, but their sizes correspond to those on the front. Detached blocks at the rear are not included in the listing.

The planning and details of the building remain largely unaltered, except for the addition of fire doors and the conversion of the assembly hall into a theatre. The Hall and classrooms still retain their original canted boarded ceilings, panelled dadoes, and all their doors and joinery. The 1904 extension, while finished in a slightly plainer style, matches the character and finish of the original building and is also largely unaltered.