4913

88-96  

II*  

Designated  

19/10/1951  

13/12/2001  

Aykroyd & Sons, Clothing Factory (Former Workhouse)  

88-96 High Street  

Gwynedd  

Bala  

 

 

292521  

335857  

SE  

Fronting the street towards the SW end of the town.  

Domestic  

 

Former workhouse complex built 1838- 1841 by the Bala Union. The building was designed to serve the five parishes of Penllyn, which at the time had an estimated 1,030 paupers. In the event relatively few were housed in the new building, largely because of the unpopularity of its central location amongst the citizens of Bala. From 1869 the building served as a County Militia barracks, and subsequently as a bottled water plant and a biscuit factory.  

Large former workhouse complex in late Regency manner; of local rubble construction with hipped slate roofs and large rubble stacks; simple cornicing. The complex consists of a two-storey, T-shaped street-facing section and a large three-and-a-half storey range to the rear; the two sections are joined centrally by a single-storey link block which divides the open middle space into two (exercise ?) yards with high outer enclosing walls. The front range is symmetrical and consists of a square 3-bay central block advanced in front of flanking 3-bay wings; the returns of the central block are similarly of 3 bays. The central, entrance bay of the main block is slightly advanced and is gabled with plain bargeboards. Wide segmental entrance arch with canted wooden oriel above; this retains its original 12-pane unhorned sash to the front, and has plain 2-pane (replaced) side sections. The flanking bays have large later C19 or early C20 2-pane shop windows to the ground floor, with stucco surrounds and bracketed labels; that to the R is obscured by a later C20 fascia. Above these are single original 9-pane sashes with slate sills and lintels. The returns have similar windows to the upper floors and to the ground floor centres, with entrances to the outer ground floor bays; C20 boarded, glazed and part-glazed doors. The flanking wings are set back behind low rubble forecourt walls. Similar sashes to both floors, the central first floor windows of each being blind and that to ground-floor centre of the R wing blocked-up; round-arched decoration above each opening. The R wing has a central lateral chimney springing from the eaves; that formerly to the L wing in the same position has been removed. Outer entrances to the ground floor, that to the L wing with a modern PVCu door and that to the R a plain boarded door. The rear range has a large full-height canted stone bay to the centre, with end chimneys and small-pane windows. Its flanking wings are of 4 bays and have similar windows; three hipped dormers to each side at roof level.  

The interiors are plain but largely unaltered to the upper floors, with pine floor boarding, simple cast iron columns, and plain king post trusses to the roof. There are two narrow square pine staircases giving access to the upper floors of the rear block, with stick balusters, square newels and round rails. The front block has a plain stick baluster stair ascending around two walls of the central section and returning on the upper floor in a similar balustrade, thereby creating a large central well. To the rear of this the link block opens off, with a series of round arches along its length giving a tunnel-like effect.  

Listed Grade II* for its special interest as an unusual former workhouse complex retaining very good original character.