Former Model Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

School complex on west side of Catherine Street set above the street and accessed by a winding driveway. It consists of two mid 19th Century blocks in a plain Tudor style and a large 1960s extension .

The east elevation (façade) consists of a main block flanked to north and south by wings. The main block is one and half storeys high and runs N-S. It is abutted to each gable by single storey wings running W-E. To the west gable (rear) of the right block is a large post-war two storey classroom complex.

The main block has a pitched natural slate roof with raised copped gables, the front right corner copping to the kneeler has a decorative gabled end with roll-top. The kneeler projects to three courses below where there is a moulded corbel. To rear pitch there are two cast iron skylights and two box dormers. To front pitch are three gabled dormers. Each rises from wall head and is in coursed boasted granite blocks, all gables are copped and with moulded corbel to knee stones above. Eaves are overhanging with exposed rafter tails supporting semicircular metal rainwater goods, with discharge pipes between each dormer.

Wall to facade is granite rubble repointed with flush joints with chamfered, boasted ashlar granite base course with a fielded and punched dressing. Over the ground floor openings lintels are flat headed relieving arches of radiating granite voussoirs. Main entrance is to ground floor left. Two granite steps with canted corners rise to door. The door is framed and t+g sheeted and Tudor headed with decorative iron strap-hinges. It is set within a Tudor headed opening formed by a single dressed stone, chamfered with fielded and punched dressings; with chamfered cut stone reveal and stepped ashlar jambs. Over head is a squared stopped hood-mould with decorative and chamfered recessed panels to spandrels. Over door, below first floor window cill is a granite plaque (with quartered corners), on moulded granite corbels and incised with ' NEWRY / MODEL P. E. SCHOOL'.

There are three windows to ground floor, the left window centres on façade below the central one of three equally spaced first floor dormers. At ground floor these are paired three paned casements with single fixed lights above in painted timber and do not seem to be original. Those to first floor are similar but slightly smaller in height and width. All have post and block, chamfered, fielded and punched granite post jambs, lintels, and cills.

Advanced to right of central block is the north wing. It is single storey and rectangular in plan. Its pitched natural slate roof runs W-E with copped gable to facade projecting beyond the facade of the main block. To rear roof is hipped and tied into roof of its right return. The advanced left cheek of this block is detailed as facade with a single window as those to ground floor of main block (but higher). Front gable has moulded corbelled kneestones and a gabled apex stone. Its wall is detailed as main block with similar basecourse, although ground falls away to expose random rubble course below basecourse. To centre is a large rectangular window. It contains three three paned painted timber casements, central one is fixed and each side one opens: and each has a double transom light over. All are set within a dressed granite chamfered opening as those to main block but with hood mould; above which is a relief lintel with radiating voussoirs. To gable above is a square granite panel with a recessed chamfered margin, carved with a ribbed geometric Tudor design and inset with a plain shield. To right of this gable is the west cheek its front return (see later) it has uncoursed rubble walls with basecourse as before. There are two windows, detailed as those to ground floor of main block. Flush to its left is the plain granite wall of an outhouse with modern timber and glass door at join.

South wing (to left of main block) is a single storey hall sharing eaves line of main block, and is rectangular in plan. Its pitched natural slate roof runs W-E with gable to facade projecting beyond facade of main block, and a lower gable link roof abutting left gable of main block. Eaves and verge with modern boxed detail support half round metal gutters and downpipe. Wall to facade is granite rubble brought to courses with a base course as main block with corners in punched and fielded post and block granite work. There are three windows at first floor left that to right is centred on the roof ridge. All are narrow fixed three paned painted timber. Dressings to openings are as those to main block facade. The advanced section of its right cheek has a single window (as others) to first floor. This block is modern and the stone to facade seems to have been reused from the former south wing (demolished).

Remainder of the building will be discussed in a clock-wise manner from S.E corner:

South elevation is made up of the left cheek of the south wing: This is modern dashed with five large high metal framed windows and a pair of timber doors set in a concrete porch.

West elevation consists (R-L) of the rear gable of the south wing, rear elevation of main block and the advanced rear of the north bay. Rear gable of south wing is advanced and is all modern, dashed and of no interest. Its advanced left cheek projects beyond main block and is dashed and devoid of openings, with a three storey boiler house and chimney abutting (of no interest).

Rear elevation of main block is smooth rendered with two boxed dormers rising from wall head. A single storey flat roofed corridor abuts ground floor with dashed walls (leading from north to south wings). Just above corridor roof, on rear wall are three three paned windows. Corridor roof is concrete with rendered wall, sheet metal door and modern fixed timber window. Advanced to left of this elevation is the rear of the north wing. It has a window with three three paned casements (opening as main block windows) and two single three paned windows. Abutting its gable is the modern post-war school extension.

North elevation consists of a front return and rear return abutting the north wall of the north wing: Return to rear is as tall as north block, with its roof tied fully into main roof. That to front is lower, its roof is tied into main roof. All roofs are natural slated and pitched with overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails. Wall between the two returns is rubble stone as facade with basecourse and there are three windows, as those to ground floor of main block.

Front return has a copped gable with corbelled moulded kneestones. Its west elevation is part of façade (previously described). Its gable is rubble stone, rendered to ground floor where it is abutted by an outhouse. There is a modern t+g sheeted door to ground floor right (where outhouse abuts). Outhouse is rubble stone to façade (previously mentioned) and to rear playground has cast iron posts supporting roof. It seems once to have been an open shelter and now has been infilled with a cement rendered wall with two metal framed windows. Rear cheek is detailed as front and faces onto a small playground.

Rear return is larger than left and its gable is copped and has a gabled apex stone and corbelled moulded kneestones. Front cheek of return has a small lean-to porch to left (at join with north block). Porch has a natural slate roof and rubble walls with basecourse. Its has a pair of narrow timber and glass panelled doors to front and a fixed six paned timber window to right cheek. The remaining wall is dashed with four windows; each has a square central pane with fixed top and bottom transoms. Gable (to north) is rubble stone with base course. In gable is a large rectangular window with Tudor panel (all detailed as facade of right block). Its window seems original and two timber mullions and a transom separate six pairs of two paned timber casements. Above the window is a rectangular plaque as that on façade of right wing. Rear elevation of return is flush with the rear elevation of north block. Wall is abutted to left of centre by a gabled return, and to right by the previously mentioned two storey modern classroom block. A single storey outbuilding abuts wall to left, and exposed wall above is random rubble. Remaining wall between return and modern classrooms is abutted by a single storey corridor block with flat roof, exposed wall above is smooth rendered with two three paned metal windows. Corridor block has a single three paned metal window.

Return has a pitched natural slate roof with an eaves level as main block but a lower ridge. Its roof is pitched and natural slated. Gable is smooth rendered, but has kneestones and is copped. It has a single large metal nine paned window. Right cheek has three equally spaced pairs of 1/1 sliding sashes with horns. Its left cheek (over and around an abutting outbuilding) is granite rubble with a single 1/1 sliding sash window.

Two storey classroom block continues to rear and is T shaped all of no interest. Lawn to front and sweeping drive from Catherine Street. Catherine St boundary is rectangular granite retaining wall with modern spiked railings; pyramidal copped piers and large modern gates. Car parking to rear. Outhouses to facade are granite to main elevation and appropriate.

Historical information

Erected as a District Model National School by the Commissioners of National Education. Designed by Frederick Darley, architect to the Commissioners, and opened in 1849 at a cost of £6671. Along with the Model School at Ballymena, this was the first school of its type in Ulster (the earliest is in Dublin, 1835).

Darley’s original plan, reproduced in Wylie’s book (see below), is broadly similar to the actual plan as shown on the large-scale OS town plan of 1861, in which the infants’, male and female units are shown along with a library and other smaller rooms. The 1863 Valuation Book notes: “Master resides here and is paid by the year for boarding some pupil teachers who after one year get £6 per annum in addition to their board and rooms”. These pupil teachers, known as monitors and monitresses, went on to Dublin to complete their training. Building was rebuilt and extended c1963 (when original south wing was demolished and replaced) and primary school vacated in 1995.

Sources:

1. Caretaker (1998)
2. R. Wylie (1997), ‘Ulster Model Schools’ (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society).
3. PRONI - VAL 12E/125/1/7 (1861 map);
4. PRONI - VAL 2B/2/39B, p.52 (Valuation book).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Although this building has been unsympathetically altered and has lost much of its original integrity and clarity of plan form, it nevertheless remains an important building of its type as (along with Ballymena) the first Model School in Ulster.

The plan form was central to the educational ethos and sufficient remains for the understanding of the building. The robust Tudor style detail of the original building maintains its character and presence despite the later additions and the composition remains worthy of special protection.