History

Built in 1893-4 by Arthur O Evans, architect of Pontypridd and opened in 1896 as the County School. The school was built in the wake of the 1889 Welsh Intermediate Education Act, and cost over £1000 raised by subscription. It was designed for both boys and girls, who had separate entrances. Additions were made to the school almost as soon as it was open, of which the present science block and gymnasium were built in 1910. The science block contained 3 laboratories, a demonstration room, and stores.
It became the Intermediate School in 1911 and in 1913 the girls left for a separate school at Glyntaff (also by A O Evans). After 1945 it was the Pontypridd Boys Grammar School, until 1973 when it became a comprehensive school.

Exterior

Asymmetrical school building of one and 2 storeys, of coursed rock-faced stone with yellow-brick dressings and red brick sill bands and arches, and slate roofs behind coped gables. The main hall to the centre is of 4 buttressed bays, the buttresses having shell tops, while the outer buttresses also have scrolled offsets. The wider outer bays have triple windows incorporating opening lights, the central bays have round-headed windows under shaped gables, brick arches, stone keys, and small-pane glazing incorporating casements.
The hall has single windows in the return walls. On the L side of the hall is a gabled wing set back, housing administration rooms, which has a blind oval oculus in red brick within a shaped gable and a plain cornice band defining the pediment. In the upper storey is a central window with narrower window on its R side, both incorporating hopper lights, with a narrow stair light set lower on the L side. In the lower storey are central and R-hand windows similar to the upper storey, with a small narrow window to the L.
Set forward further L is a single-storey classroom wing (now offices), with a porch on the R side and 2 pairs of sashes to its L. The gabled porch has an elliptical red-brick arch and Romanesque style foliage to the imposts.
Set back on the R of the hall is a gabled 2-window link of one storey and attic, the window upper L being a dormer with shaped gable. Set forward further R is a 3-window 2-storey classroom wing higher than the main hall and with a continuous lean-to across the front which has an angle buttress with shell top on the R side. The lean-to has a projecting gabled porch to the L side, the doorway of which is similar to the porch on the L side of the hall, and 2 pairs of small sashes to its R. The upper storey of the wing has sash windows, which have small panes to the upper sash and larger panes to the lower sash. The R gable end has 3 stepped windows to the upper storey, of which the L-hand window is cut down to make an escape door with steel stairs attached. The lower storey has similar stepped windows. The rear of this classroom wing has 3 sashes in the upper storey and 2 below.
Behind the main hall are 4 gabled classrooms with a centrally placed entrance passage under a lower gable. The class rooms have stepped windows incorporating sashes. The entrance, with a canopy over, has a boarded door under small-pane overlight with 1930s metal-framed window to its R. On the L side of the classrooms is an added lower hipped toilet block. On the R side is another C20 projection below 2 sashes in the administration wing of the main block, with a further hipped roof projection to its R. On the L (S) side of the main block is a tall 3-storey block dated 1939.
The science block is linked to the main block by means of an open canopied walkway. It is single-storey, of rubble stone with yellow brick dressings. Roughly square in plan it has double gabled slate roofs. The gable ends on the N and S sides have 3 stepped windows incorporating sashes beneath each gable. The E side, facing the main school block, has an attached canopy with cast iron posts and replaced frosted glass. Double boarded doors are offset to the R side and are flanked by windows beneath the eaves. Further L are 3 similar windows. On the R side are 3 windows, the central taller and carried above the eaves under a gablet. The rear, uphill side, has a 2-window gablet L of centre, 2 tall windows on the R carried up as gabled half dormers, while L of centre is a window with replaced metal glazing and a doorway at the L end with half-lit door under a segmental head.
The single-storey gymnasium is to the S of the science block and linked by an open canopied walkway. It is of rubble stone, with yellow brick dressings, stone lintels and slate roof. The 5-window front has small-paned mullioned windows.The windows offset from the centre are carried up above the eaves under gablets, while the L-hand window is cut down to make a doorway inside an added porch. The main doorway is in a lean-to on the R gable end. It has double doors with fielded panels under a lintel of reconstituted stone inscribed 'gymnasium'. The R-hand side of the lean-to has 2 sash windows, while the gable of the main building has a segmental-headed pivoting window. The rear has 2 tall windows under gablets flanking a central window with replaced metal glazing. Against the L (S) gable end is a wider and higher single storey wing added in the 1930s.

Interior

The porches each have double panelled doors with diagonal boarding, under overlights. Behind the main hall is a continuous corridor with scribed plaster walls. The hall, now divided into 2 rooms, has a 4-bay arched-brace roof. Opposite the hall the 4 original classrooms have collar-beam roofs but are now 2 rooms. Either side of the hall, and reached from the main corridor, are open-well stairs with turned balusters and newels, leading to a classroom on the R side and office on the L side.
In the science block the entrance leads up steps to a lobby that opens to the classrooms. These have collar-beam roofs now partly concealed. The 2 rooms on the R of the lobby are now a single room. The demonstration room on the L side retains its original desk in raked tiers.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as an early County school retaining considerable architectural character in a prominent position overlooking the town.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29501848

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.

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