Movilla High School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, mainly two storey, modern looking school of 1931 situated at the eastern edge of the town of Newtownards. This building is now mainly ‘E’ shaped in plan form with gabled roofs and constructed in a mixture of brown and red brick. The original sections of the complex to the E, N and S form a ‘C’ shape.

The long front (E) facade is has a large central full height gabled bay with an open ‘port-cochere’-like ground floor (with entrance doors) with simple square columns which support the upper floor. In the gable above the upper floor is a clock set in a plaque with the date 1931. Towards either end of the front facade is another slightly smaller two storey gabled bay.

At each end of the front facade (where it meets both the shorter N and S wings), slightly shorter, hipped roof ‘corner’ sections have been added recently.

The N and S wings each have two gabled bays at either end, much as front. The front facade, along with the ‘front’ elevations of the N and S wings, all constructed in brown brick and have a series of very large uniform window openings, now with modern PVC frames.

The rear, or ‘inner’ section of the school appears to have been gradually added to. In the centre (attached the rear of the long E wing) is a large gabled hall (the middle horizontal of the ‘E’ shape) constructed in red and brown brick, which has been greatly extended (on all faces) at various stages, with a large gymnasium added to the rear gable and smaller single storey wings added to the N and S faces. These extensions are mainly in a mixture of brown and red brick.

To the W and N of the main complex are further recently built sections in red and dark brown brick, mainly with gabled roofs. The original sections still have Bangor blue slates to their gabled roofs, with asbestos free slates to the more modern sections. All the windows are PVC.

Historical information

This school was built in 1931 and officially opened by the Marquis of Londonderry the following year. The building has been gradually added to over the years, with the large gymnasium to the rear dating from the 1950s and large classroom blocks to the north and west of more recent date. The building was completely renovated in 1992, at which time the hipped roof ‘corner’ extensions were built also.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Large, mainly two storey, modern style school of 1931, much added to over the years and completely renovated in 1992.