Description

PRESTON

SD5229 WESTON STREET
941-1/6/289 (East side)
former Talbot RC Primary School

GV II

School, currently undergoing restoration and conversion as
library. 1847-9 (dated 1849 over south doorway). Uncoursed
brown sandstone rubble, with dressings of lighter-coloured
sandstone and graduated slate roof. L-plan formed by a long
rectangular range at right-angles to the street containing 2
large halls with a lateral passage between them, with a
transept at the east end of the north side. Early English
style. One storey under a high steeply-pitched roof, 7+1+7
bays, with low side walls and a large west gable to the
street. The gable has side buttresses with 2 offsets, a
stepped group of 3 tall cusped lancets in the centre flanked
by similar but smaller lancets, and a coped gable with the
stool of a former finial. The south front has matching
buttresses, coupled cusped lancets in each bay (but the 3
easternmost bays now covered by a later C19 addition), and in
the centre a wide one-and-a-half storey gabled porch breaking
forwards slightly with a taller octagonal stair turret
attached to its right-hand corner; the porch has a 2-centred
arched doorway with shafts, a tablet above this with raised
lettering "IHS / MUNIFICENTIAE / GULIELMI TALBOT / SOCIETATI
PERENNE MONUMENTUM / [1]849" (1st digit missing), and a window
of 3 stepped cusped lights in the gable; the turret has small
lancets and a conical-octagonal cap. The roof has a small
dormer above the porch and 2 ventilators on the ridge. The
rear and north transept are in matching style (but former rear
porch, subsequently altered as chimney, under reconstruction
at time of survey), and the transept has one taller 2-light
window with a gable over. Irregular extension to rear of
transept, in similar style and materials.
INTERIOR: wide central passage with inner porch at south end,
large 2-centred arches in centre and coupled segmental-pointed
windows beyond (with shafts) all opening into halls on each
side; spiral staircase to attic over passage; large halls,
each with 6 large arch-braced hammerbeam roof trusses which
have trefoil arcading above the collars; 3-bay arcade to
transept, which also has hammerbeam roof but of differing
design. History: probably served as both church and school
before opening of church of St Walburge (q.v.) in 1854. Forms
group with that church, which it resembles in materials and
roof construction.

Listing NGR: SD5294829927

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26579688

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
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  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
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  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)