Harold Road Junior School

Cadw's description

Location

On large site taking up most of south side of Harold Road to the north of the town.

History

Bears dates 1897, and 1910. Probably designed by E A Johnson. Laboratories were added to the rear of the school in 1907. The building provided accommodation for the Intermediate Girls' School following the Welsh Intermediate Education Act of 1889, and was then the County School for Girls, but it is now a primary school. This is a little altered example of a developed Board School.

Exterior

Built of yellow brick with Bath limestone dressings on grey stone plinth, red tiled roof with tiled cresting; yellow brick chimneys, cast-iron rainwater goods. In a Tudor style with some Jacobean details. Generally single-storey with large, high classrooms in the Victorian manner, only the later Science Block at the rear is 2-storeys. Horned small pane sash glazing set in mullion-and-transom windows.
Long front faces north to street. From left, projecting gabled block with Bath limestone banding and 5-light window; then, set back, two 2-light windows with gablets over; then gabled block with 4-light window which links via block with single-light window and two 2-light windows to further gabled block with gabled porch in angle; arched doorway. Gabled block has 5-light window. Five window west return with shallow buttresses.
East return has arched doorway between 2 gablets. Similar treatment to rear with, at right angles, 2-storey, 6-window block with hipped tiled roof. This is a later addition, probably inter-war, as it does not appear in early C20 photographs.
Rear elevation not inspected.

Interior

Interior not inspected at resurvey but is known to retain good original character including classrooms with part-glazed partitions flanking internal corridors, fine woodwork fittings and open timber roofs.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a well preserved and designed example of a late C19 and early C20 board school.