History

Originally built as the Congregational Memorial College and opened in 1869. After the Act of Uniformity following the Restoration (1660), Nonconformists were barred from Oxford and Cambridge universities ("The Great Ejectment"), and had to make arrangements for their own education. The Congregationalists set up an academy at Abergavenny in 1757, and came to Brecon in 1839. The present building was built in 1869 as a memorial to the early Nonconformist martyrs; architect Rev Thomas Thomas. The College left Brecon in 1959, and the building was subsequently converted to flats.

Exterior

Former college. "Tudorbethan" style. Brown stone with bathstone dressings. Symmetrical front massed round tall central tower. Stone mullion and transom windows. The central tower of 5 storeys, has pyramidal roof with weather vane, and buttresses; entrance with Tudor-headed doorway. Tower flanked to each side by a recessed 2-window block of 2 storeys and attics; gabled dormers. To each side, beyond these, an advanced gabled block with two-storey splayed bay window with panelled parapet, above which is a four-light window to second floor and round window to attic. Beyond gabled blocks, a lower single window block of 2 storeys and attic with gabled dormer. At ends, a gabled block with pointed attic window.

Reasons for Listing

Strongly designed college building with added historic interest in the history of Nonconformist education in Wales.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485934

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)