'The Hawarden Institute was founded by W.E. Gladstone in 1854 as a literary, scientific and technical institute for the "physical, social and intellectual benefit of all classes". The present building replaced the earlier one and was opened by Gladstone in 1893. Designed by T.M. Lockwood of Chester, it consisted of a lecture hall, reading rooms, billiard rooms and bathing facilities.'
CADW describes the exterior of the Institute thus: 'A 2-storey 4-bay facade in Queen Anne style. Shallow-pitched hipped roof of slate, with oversailing eaves and moulded eaves cornice. Single off-set brick stack to L. Symmetrical 3-window main section to L with recessed entrance bay to R. Open porch with slate roof carried on scrolled wooden brackets, and with wooden balustrade to R. Stepped access to contemporary door with upper half gazed in 12 panes. Flanking the entrance, a pair of 6-pane fixed windows with moulded, shaped heads. Above the entrance, a tripartite window carried on decorative wooden brackets and with moulded pediment to central light. Contemporary glazed lantern carried on a bracket above the porch. Main block with tripartite, part-leaded window with arched wooden transome and decorative keystone to ground floor centre. Similar window above, though here a Norman-shavian oriel on scrolled brackets. Flanking 6-light mullioned and transomed windows on both floors. Red brick ground floor with moulded and dentilated string-course and decorative diaper work in blue headers. Roughcast first floor, with plain brick string-courses at cill level and beneath eaves cornice. Pronounced brick quoins. No 31: Contemporary 2-storey domestic range adjoining to rear (now No. 31). Cambered heads to doors and windows and both hipped and catslide roofs. Contemporary yard walls and W.C.'
Source: CADW listed building database, reference no. 15070
RCAHMW, 12th June 2019