Former Ffynnongroyw School

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 200m NW of the parish church, set back behind a walled forecourt on the N side of the main road through Fynnongroyw

History

A British (later Board) school built in 1869-71 by Richard Owens, architect of Liverpool and best-known for his designs for chapels. A large schoolroom was designed with parallel desks, while an integral wing housed a smaller infants' school. The interior was converted to a nursery with a dwelling at the rear in the late C20.

Exterior

A simple Tudor-Gothic style school of snecked rubble, freestone dressings, steep slate roof with banded fish-scale slates, behind coped gables with moulded kneelers. The school has a T-shaped plan, comprising a main range with its gable end facing the street, and a short, former infants' wing set back on the R-hand side. The main range has a spirelet incorporating a vent over the junction of main range and wing, and a stone ridge stack further back. The main range has a doorway in the gable end, replacing a former mullioned window, and with large-pane glazing replacing earlier boarded doors. Its lintel is inscribed 'UNDENOMINATIONAL SCHOOL', while a tablet above it is inscribed 'NONDENOMINATIONAL SCHOOL', both dated 1871. A gabled bellcote to the apex has lost its bell. The R side wall of the main range has a gabled porch with small side windows and a lintel over a boarded door. Beyond it is the infants' wing, which has a stack on the L side and paired sashes with central mullion. Its gable end has a lintelled vent in the gable and a sash window lower R inserted in a heightened original opening.

The L side wall of the main range has 3 pairs of sash windows between central mullions, then further L is a replaced glazed door, an original horned sash window, and 2 small inserted windows and an inserted basement window. The rear gable end has 2 inserted boarded doors to the basement. Behind the wing is an outshut to the main range, to the R of which are paired sash windows below pivoting lights, all under a gablet. Behind the wing, backing on to the outshut, is a flat-roofed projection obscuring an original blocked window.

Interior

The interior has inserted partitions in the main range and wing for a nursery, while the rear of the main range is adapted to a dwelling.

Reason for designation

Listed as a mid to late C19 purpose-built British School retaining early character, and for its association with the development of the industrial village of Ffynnongroyw.