school

End-of-terrace five-bay three-storey former technical institute, built c. 1910, on sloping site, with lean-to three-storey and flat-roofed two-storey extensions to rear. Now in use as retail outlet and offices to ground floor. Pitched slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods and moulded eaves course. Painted rendered walls to front and rear elevations, unpainted roughcast rendered to west gable. Moulded sill courses and frieze with painted render letters spelling 'Technical Institute', chanelled render quoins and having similar pilasters flanking ground floor openings and central bay of upper floors. Moulded cornice to shopfront with replacement timber fasciaboard. Square-headed window openings with replacement uPVC windows. Square-headed entrances with timber panelled doors and glazed overlights. Accessed via stone steps. Pedestrian lane to west has flight of steps towards river.

This end-of terraced former technical school forms part of a group of buildings in the town which have rendered lettering to their facades. Such lettering is not only attractive, but also provides a key to its former function. The coursing of render also provides interest to this otherwise simple façade. It occupies a prominent site on a corner near a busy junction and its rear elevation is visible from the opposite bank of the river.