West Monmouth School

Cadw's description

Location

In Cwm Fields about 1000m west of Pontymoile roundabout.

History

A very large school built in 1897 by the Haberdashers Company and designed by Henry Stock FRIBA. It was developed from the similarly established school in Monmouth. It was built as a boys' private day and boarding grammar school, but became a local authority grammar in 1957 and a mixed comprehensive in 1982. There is a large detached Science Block built in 1934, and a considerable extension built in 1982.

Exterior

A very large school built of hard red brick with stone bands and dressings, and with Welsh slate and lead roofs. The main block faces south and has additional blocks attached to the rear and to the north end. Three storeys with basement.
Main south elevation : This is in the Jacobethan style, on the E-plan with central projecting three storey porch and wings on either side. 2 : 3 : 2 : 3 : 2 bays, except that each section has three windows on the top floor. Basement and top floor windows are two over two sashes, the rest are two over four sashes; all excepting the central ones on the first and second floors which are opposite to the rest of the floor. The entrance is reached up steps which go from double to single, and have a polished granite plaque recording date, architect etc. on the front face. The door is within a stone porch with cusping in the head and carving above including the school and Haberdashers Company's arms supported by two goats rampant and motto SERVE AND OBEY. Above this is a paired window in a segmental head with central stone mullion. The gables on the outer bays are plain except for pinnacles and stone copings; that in the centre also has an elaborately carved face. The octagonal stair-towers are behind the outer wings on each side. The roofs are plain with tall brick stacks all now lacking pots. The lead roofs on the towers are panelled.
West wing : This projects forward of the main front and has two windows. Crow stepped gable to the front and to the side.
East wing : This stretches back from the right hand stair-tower and continues in the same character. There are three gables all in the same plane with a full height buttress up the face of each; and these have a paired window on either side. In addition there is a crow stepped gable on the end of the wing this has two smaller buttresses on the east face and is blind except for two samall windows on the ground floor. The north elevation has a paired window under a segmental head on the gorund floor and above it a very large window of four lights and two transoms each pane also dived in four. This is flanked by 2 four over four windows. This was clearly built as the Art Room.
Rear (Courtyard) elevations : These are all much plainer, and nearly all the windows are three over twelve with top opening lights, but some are smaller. Several small gables at eaves level.

Interior

This is very little altered apart from some partitioning and almost ubiquitous false ceilings. The classrooms have dado vertical boarding; the one significantly different one is the old Art Room at the north end of the east wing. The Boardroom, now the Headmaster's Study, is panelled and has several built in trophy cabinets. The Hall remains unaltered with a coffered ceiling supported on transverse beams on brackets. Dado panelling, balcony on large console brackets, and there is a WWI Memorial stained glass window as a later addition. The tower staircases are concrete and the attic rooms, originally dormitories are largely unaltered.

Reason for designation

Included as an unusually large and well detailed late C19 school.