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| Architect W.T. Ortons design. |
A competition was initiated by the directors of the club for designs for their new building, although there were designs from various parts of the county, the commission was given to a local Hinckley Architect.
The Architect commissioned for the building was W.T. Orton of Hinckley, the contractors were Greaves & Farmer of Hinckley. The Sub-contractors were John Abbot (Plumbing), C.Summers (Plastering), Parsons, Sherwin and Co (Heating apparatus), T.Cotterill of Nuneaton (Stonework).
The building started November 1901 and was completed by August 1902, with the total cost of £3,000.
The building is approached from the Station Road through a spacious staircase hall. On the ground floor to the left there is a committee room, to the right is a reading room that is well lit. Also there are two small private rooms leading to the staircase hall. The rest of the space on the ground floor is occupied by three offices.
The greater portion of the club accommodation is on the first floor, the main feature is a large billiard room which allows space for three billiard tables. A platform and comfortable upholstered seating is arranged along the sides and the end of the room. Two of the windows that look out to Station Road and double doors giving access to the balconies, which were intended to use for public speaking, etc.
The smoking room which also contains a bar is conveniently placed next to the adjoining billiard room. There are also two card rooms, which the main room is at the front corner of the building. The managers house is at the side and has been planned to be there to give privacy to the manger and at the same time to be in close communication with the club premises.
The front of the building has been styled from the renaissance period, being executed in brick with white Hollington stone dressings, the roof is covered with welsh slates. Transomed windows at first floor level, where bay two has a shaped gable, with cartouche and date, set between recessed bays which have Art Nouveau railings to their balconies.
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| The Constitutional Club c.1920s (left/top), Sir Herbert Nield 07-Oct-1920 (right/bottom) | |
The view from the windows at the front shows a commanding view of St.Marys Church and its leafy surroundings as well as The Free Library opposite, and from the view from the billiard room is a view of the Market Place as well as Station Road.
The land to the rear of the building had also been acquired with the intention of erecting a single storey building. The Architect commissioned for the work was Heaton & Walker of Hinckley who had previously designed the Isolation Hospital, Ashby Road (1915).
July 1927 worked started to create an extension to the club to accommodate six billiard tables, two skittle alleys and a large lounge that was fitted with a dome-like top light. The upstairs of the existing building would now be used for concert purposes and other social activities, there were no structural alterations made. The cost for the extension and alterations came to £4,000.
In December 1928 the extension was officially opened by Sir Herbert Nield who was a Conservative Party MP as well as a Deputy Lieutenant of Middlesex (1912) and a Privy Councillor (1924).
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