Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers
Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers, 44 and 46, Crowndale Road
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1067378
- Date first listed:
- 14-May-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers
- Statutory Address:
- Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers, 44 and 46, Crowndale Road
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2007-06-20
- Reference:
- IOE01/16615/32
- Rights:
- © Mr Anthony Rau. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1067378
- Date first listed:
- 14-May-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers
- Statutory Address 1:
- Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers, 44 and 46, Crowndale Road
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers, 44 and 46, Crowndale Road
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Camden (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 29378 83461
Details
TQ2983SW
798-1/83/284
CAMDEN
CROWNDALE ROAD (north side)
Nos. 44 and 46, Working men's college and attached railings, wall and piers
14/05/74
GV
II
College. 1904-1906. By W.D Caröe. Red brick with stone dressings. Slate mansard roof with dormers.Tall brick chimney with louvred lantern (fume extract from chemistry laboratory). Asymmetrical facade in British Free Style.
EXTERIOR: two storeys, attic storey and semi-basement. Sixteen windows and eight window return to Camden Street. Main entrance to right with stone portico having Ionic half columns carrying entablature and segmental pediment with enriched tympanum. All windows with fine gauged brick arches to flush sashes with keystones, glazing bars giving impression of transoms and mullions. Semi-basement, segmental-arched; ground and first floor, mostly flat arched. Plain brick band at ground floor level. Asymmetrically set feature of four windows flanked by brick Doric pilasters carrying entablature (with words 'WORKING MEN'S COLLEGE' in frieze) and pediment with large lunette in the tympanum. To left, bowed bay of three windows rising from semi-basement to eaves and terminating in cornice and parapet. Dormers with alternating segmental and triangular pediments. Gable end of right hand return with Free Style segmental-arched projection having round-arched windows with margin glazing on three sides being a recess to the library. Letters in tympanum read 'FOUNDED 1854'. Return with entrance having moulded stone surround and keystone. Similar sashes to main front; top storey with round-arched windows and large lunette to right hand gabled bay, indicating the library on this floor.
INTERIOR: entrance hall with staircase beyond and corridor to right leading to large Common Room; this with panelled dado and moulded plaster ceilings including national emblems. Two eighteenth-century marble fire surrounds from Great Ormond Street where Working Men's College founded: at west end of yellow and white marble with Ionic columns supporting entablature having central plaque with carved marble flowers; at east end a simple white marble surround with coloured marble inlay.
Camden Street wing, ground floor, has main hall with stage, proscenium and panelling. First floor Library has barrel vaulted ceiling with glazed panel top lighting; five arcaded bays with arch at south end into recess; oak panelling and bookcases. Oak mantelpiece above marble fire surround. Bronze plaque above to Robert Henry Marks 1912. Marble head in recessed roundel by Alexander Munro to right of fireplace. Top storey: art studio with portrait of Lionel Jacob, 1910, set in oak panelling; shallow vaulted ceiling. Science laboratory with original fitted benches. In the basement the gymnasium, originally for boxing.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached cast-iron railings on brick sleeper wall with brick piers.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the Working Men's College was founded 1854 in Great Ormond Street by Rev. F D Maurice, John Ruskin and others to offer non-vocational studies in humanities, history, theology and natural sciences within a collegiate community. Social facilities and gymnasium were key features of its accommodation as much as classrooms, laboratory and library. Art, taught by Ruskin, Rossetti and others was important in the early years and has remained a strong tradition.
Listing NGR: TQ2937883461
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 477030
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Harrison, J F C, A History of the Working Mens College 1854-1954, (1954)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 06:00:32.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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