Description

Dated 1856. Picturesquely detailed, single storey and attic, 3-bay, rectangular-plan former female school with centre door gablet incorporating roll-moulded commemorative stone, and segmental arched doorpiece and some lattice glazing. Bull-faced granite with roughly squared rubble to sides and rear, deep base course. Long and short quoins.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: symmetrical centre door, principal elevation to W facing former playground. Boarded timber door with 2-part fanlight giving way to incised memorial plaque dated '1856 AD' (see Notes). 2 small modern rooflights above.

Lattice casement glazing to right and top lights to left of W elevation, and narrow arrowslit type window to E; 4- and 9-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows (some replacement) elsewhere. Grey slates. Coped ashlar stacks with some cans; stepped ashlar-coped skews and moulded skewputts.

BOUNDARY WALL: low coped rubble boundary wall to W.

Statement of Interest

A pre-1872 Education Act purpose-built rural school building, the former Morrice School is an unusually finely-detailed building for the village, with its well-crafted granite stonework. Situated at the heart of the village, the former School is an important part of Kincardine O'Neil's architectural and social history. Many rural schools, which may have consisted of only a single room in a house, became redundant following the 1872 Education Act which made education compulsory and acted as a catalyst for a nationwide programme of school building. The former Morrice School retains much of its character and its quality masonry and commemorative panel set it apart from other rural examples. The interest here is increased by the survival of the complementary nearby schoolhouse and reading room (see below) which catered for boys. The Morrice School was endowed as a female school. The commemorative plaque inscription records that the school was built "... as a tribute to the memory of the Rev William Morrice ...".

Re-categorised as C(S) from B for Group (2006). The listing relates specifically to the group interest of the subject. It applies, as always, to interior as well as exterior, as appropriate to building type.

When originally listed this building was referred to as the 'The Morrice School, Now Reading Room' but the building known as the 'Reading Room' originally constituted part of the boys school and is in fact adjoined to the nearby, separately listed, schoolhouse (HB number 9573).

Address and list description revised 2008.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56617723

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

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)