Former School & School Master's House

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the S side of the main road through Gorsedd, next to the Church of St Paul.

History

National school and school master's house built in 1852-3 to the design of T H Wyatt, along with the Church of St Paul and the vicarage. These buildings were funded by public subscription following the Pantasaph controversy in which the Church of St David became Roman Catholic. The single-storey school room is accompanied by a house at right angles for the master. The building is now the church hall.

Exterior

Single-storey school room orientated N-S, with 2-storey domestic range at right angles to W, slightly set back. Constructed of large blocks of random grey stone with sandstone dressings under slate roofs. Detail includes raised copings and kneelers to gables and flat-headed stone-mullioned windows. The N gable end of the school room has a large 4-light window with transom under a relieving arch. To the L is a lean-to porch (against the E side), with entrance to N containing a chamfered Tudor-arched doorway with planked door. The E side of the school room has a projecting stack to the centre, now truncated, flanked by multi-pane 4-light windows immediately under the eaves. At right angles to the L end is a small single-storey range with mono-pitched roof. It has a boarded door to the N side and small lights to the E end and S side, the latter in a concrete surround. Adjoining to the S is a large flat-roofed addition, which butts up against the S gable end of the school room. A relieving arch over a window can be seen above it. The roof of the school room sweeps down towards the W over a further flat-roofed stone extension (against master's house), which is probably earlier than that to the SE. This has a planked door to the S side and a late C20 window to the W.

The N side of the house is set back from the school room, with tall stone ridge stack to centre. To the L is a 3-light window to each storey, and to the R a 4-light mullioned bay window with hipped roof. The W gable end of the house has a late C20 blockwork lean-to porch offset to the R, with planked door to N side and small light to W. Two late C20 windows to upper storey in stone surrounds. Lateral stone stack to S.

Interior

The interior of the school room retains a boarded ceiling and wainscot.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-preserved school and school master's house retaining good Gothic revival character. Part of a group with the Church of St Paul and the vicarage.