Grammar School

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the churchyard and forming part of the E boundary. The church is to the SW.

History

The grammar school was built c1608, following an endowment by Dr George Smith. A school master was to be employed at £20 pa and stipends provided for poor boys from surrounding parishes. The master's accommodation was on an upper level gallery reached by its own doorway. John Wynne of Soughton Hall, Bishop of St Asaph and Bath & Wells, was a pupil here. In 1832 there were 12 pupils. It became a Sunday School in the C19 when it was altered. The front entrance has been moved from the N end to the W front.

Exterior

Single range orientated N-S. Two-storey 3-window front facing W, constructed of rubble sandstone under a slate roof. Stone end stack to L, raised stone copings to gables and high moulded plinth. Three-light mullioned windows with flat heads, the lights with round heads, incised triangular spandrels and plain chamfered mullions. They contain small-pane diamond glazing. The front entrance is offset to the far L and has a shallow Tudor-arched head and chamfered jambs and contains a ribbed wooden door. The lower storey windows, to centre and R have hoodmoulds, but the 3 windows above do not. The N gable end has a 3-light mullioned window offset to the L, and a doorway (the original entrance) blocked with stone to the far R. To the 1st floor to L and R, are 2-light mullioned windows (without round-headed lights), also blocked with stone. The rear (E) side has a similar blocked window to the R of the upper storey. Three-light Tudor windows, as front but without hoodmoulds, to L and centre of ground floor, and infilled opening to R. Large central 4-light window with transom to S gable end, all the lights with round heads.

Interior

Five-bay open-plan interior. The building contains reused roof trusses, including a pair of C15-16 arched-brace trusses to the S. The braces are attached to chamfered tie beams, with raked struts above the collars. Two Queen-post trusses to N, that furthest N originally a collar-beam truss with tie beam and queen struts added beneath. The tie beam is said to bear an inscription 'IR 1762'. Two purlins to each roof pitch. Detail includes a flagstone floor, and raked sills and reveals to windows. There was formerly a gallery for the school master's accommodation at the N end, but this has been removed. It was accessed from a former 1st floor doorway in the N gable end, offset to the L and now blocked. Offset to the R is a square opening for a former fireplace with a lintel misaligned to its R. To the outer sides of the wall are 2 infilled window openings, both of which are visible from the exterior. The blocked entrance to the far L of the lower storey is marked by a narrow lintel. To the L of the E wall are blocked windows to each storey, both visible from outside.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* as an exceptionally rare early C17 grammar school which is little altered.