Restored institute takes its bow

Every part of the institute has been restored using traditional skills. In pictures

A building which lost out on the BBC Two programme Restoration has been restored to its former glory in a £650,000 development.

Prichard Jones Institute at Newborough on Anglesey was built in 1905 by a wealthy businessman who wanted to give something back to the community.

It was once the largest philanthropic building on the island.

It competed on the Restoration programme against Gwynedd slate workshops and a Carmarthenshire farm.

Pen yr Orsedd quarry workshops, in Gwynedd, were eventually beaten to second place in the Restoration final.

"It was a poor village, where there was no running water, no sewage system, with poor quality homes with earth floors. It must have made such an impact," said trustee David Owens.

"Although there was also a bit of awe and respect, and some people felt uncomfortable going into somewhere so luxurious.

It really is a special building Elfyn Roberts, Menter Mon

"Children were not allowed here and it was considered a bit elitist and exclusive," he added.

There has been something of a split in the village about the restoration too after it was decided that it was not the place to hold activities for children.

However, the Church in Wales granted a lease to Criw Niwbwrch on the old St Thomas' Church Hall where most of the activities for children are now based.

School

"It does mean there are two groups competing for funding," said Dr Owens.

"But what I hope will happen is that the two committees can get together to run both venues in the future," he added.

The institute was built by one of the village's most famous sons, Sir John Pritchard-Jones, to serve the local community as a library, reading room and public hall.

There were also six alms houses for the area's poor.

The agreement signed by prospective tenants included rules such as no alcohol to be consumed, at least one religious service was to be attended each week "if physically and mentally fit", and the earth closet was to be emptied daily, with the contents put on the garden plots.

Update facilities

Over the years the building became increasingly run down however although it was still open to the public - and was even used as a 'secondary modern' school for a couple of years in the early 1950s.

The reading room is also a pub in a scene from the film Half Light staring Demi Moore.

Grants of £650,000 were obtained from a variety of sources including Anglesey Council, Welsh assembly, National Lottery and Europe to complete the work.

The refurbishment provided the opportunity to update facilities such as the kitchens and toilets, as well a to turn the former caretaker's flat into office space.

Builders R L Davies from Colwyn Bay, used traditional skills to restore the fabric of the building, with £20,000 going on re-instating the detailed covings in all the main rooms.

Library

"People will not see how much work has been done here, because something might look old, but it is in fact new," said site manager Wil Jones.

The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the library, however. Hundreds of books - many in the Welsh language - covered subjects including science and religion.

Daily papers were delivered, and the local residents could go in to browse the Illustrated London News.

There are also artefacts from the time Newborough was a town, and as a 'New Borough' had its own member of parliament.

"It really is a special building," said Elfyn Roberts, from enterprise agency Menter Môn, which managed the grant applications and building project.

"It has taken 13 years for this day to arrive, and the dream to be realised with the institute restored to its former glory," he added.

A day of events has been organised on Saturday to mark the official opening by Sir David John Walter Prichard-Jones, grandson of benefactor Sir John Prichard-Jones.