County Primary School

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently located at the entrance to the village from the E, approximately 120m from the Square.

History

National School, built 1868 on glebe land by J.W.Poundley (1807-1872), County Surveyor, of Black Hall, Kerry, pupil of Thomas Penson of Oswestry, to replace No. 1 The Square as the village school. It was extended c1930-40 in a similar style, and with further buildings added to the W in the later C20.

Exterior

Yellow brick with rock-faced local stone shaley limestone quoins and dressings. Slate roof with perforated ridges. The main building is at right angles to the road, and comprises a 3-bay hall, a 2-bay cross wing at the S end, and a 2-storey entrance tower with spire at the NE corner. Boarded door with iron hinges and perimeter studding within a moulded pointed arch. One large gable slightly set forward and containing a 3-light window, the lancets separated by colonettes, and cinquefoils in the spandrels. Ventilator above, and stack with sloping shoulders at the side. Similar window on gable end of wing, which contains a further classroom, and has a terminal stack. Spire roof breaks back to louvred timber stage, arched to each section, and a pyramidal spire over.

Interior

Open raftered roof on 2 tiers of purlins, the truss extended by wall posts to corbels. Scissor braces to the roof of the main range.

Reason for designation

Included as a prominent Kerry landmark, relatively unaltered on its prominent E elevation, designed to balance the Reading Room on the S side of the main road.