History

School dated 1909 on rainwater goods, by Samuel Evans, Flintshire County architect. Part of an initiative by the Flintshire Education Committee to meet the needs of a rising population; a very similar but slightly smaller school was built in Connah's Quay by the same architect. The building is little-altered except for the addition of 2 toilet blocks in c1970, before which time the children had to cross the playground to reach the toilets; there is also a small flat-roofed classroom to the SW angle.

Exterior

Symmetrical single-storey school with bold classical detail, constructed of red brick with brick and sandstone dressings, under slate roofs with tall brick stacks. There are several component parts: a U-shaped range to front consisting of a central assembly hall flanked by advanced gabled bays containing classrooms; a long range to rear containing 6 classrooms; and against the ends of the front range, lower wings with entrances and cloakrooms. Good detail including wide boarded eaves and plain barge boards; tall windows with original small-pane glazing, mainly fixed lights over horned sashes, with flat arched heads of gauged brickwork and stone sills.

The front range, facing the playground, has a tall stepped gable to centre with sandstone parapets and ball finial, under which is a large round-arched window with small-pane glazing, a tall fluted keystone and sandstone hoodmould. This is flanked by pairs of cross-windows with brick aprons, and divided by shallow brick buttresses with scrolled sandstone caps. Advanced gabled bays to each side have raised banded quoins of brick and sandstone, modillion eaves and an open triangular pediment. Beneath each pediment is a tall central window, a fixed light over a 16-pane sash with fluted keystone, over which is a round sandstone hoodmould, flanked by tall narrow lights. Each gable has a decorative frieze of black brickwork, above which is an oculus with small-pane glazing. Lateral stacks to L-hand returns, one to W gabled bay, and 2 to E gabled bay. The lower cloakroom wings have canted bays to each gable end with continuous parapets, each face with a 12-pane horned sash, above which is a sandstone diamond tablet. Fronts of wings are now partly obscured by the flat-roofed late-C20 toilet blocks, but some original 12-pane sashes and oculi are retained. To the S sides of the gable ends, and of continuous brickwork, are the entrances, for boys to W end, and girls and infants to E end. The doorways have moulded brick and sandstone jambs and substantial keyed sandstone lintels with segmental heads; each lintel bears a wreath, inside which is 'boys' and 'girls & infants' in relief. Inset double panelled half-glazed doors. Above the entrances are continuous parapets with sandstone copings. Original cast iron rainwater goods, the hoppers dated '1909'. To the R of the W entrance is a later flat-roofed classroom with large metal-framed windows. The rear range, facing the road, contains 6 classrooms, each with a lateral brick stack (the central pair have lost their moulded caps). Each classroom has 3 tall windows, a central 16-pane sash with fixed light over, flanked by narrower lights. A fire-escape doorway has been inserted to the far L. The gable ends have an oculus to the apex, the E end with a window offset to R, containing a fixed light over 12-pane sash.

Interior

A central corridor runs the length of the building between the boys' and girls' entrances. Off the S side are 6 classrooms, whilst to the N is the assembly hall flanked by single classrooms, offices and cloakrooms. Well-preserved internal detail, including panelled half-lit doors with small-pane glazing, glazed brown brick dado, picture rail, wood block flooring and early radiators. Central assembly hall with 5-bay arched-brace roof ceiled at collar level, the trusses supported on short wall posts and corbels. To the front centre, the wall is raised and gabled over a round-arched window, the upper lights now blind. The hall incorporates the central corridor, open to the N, which has wide segmental-arched doorways to each end, containing double panelled half-glazed doors and side-lights. The line of 6 classrooms to the rear retain their original detail; each had a cross-angle fireplace, now blocked, and glazed brick dado. They are divided by boarded screens in 5 sections, the upper parts glazed, which pull back as required. There are 2 further classrooms flanking the assembly hall and occupying the front gabled bays. To the E end and lit by a canted bay window, the girls' cloakroom retains original fittings and quarry tile floor, and is divided from the central corridor by open piers faced in glazed brown brick. The W cloakroom has been sub-divided and is now partly offices; panelled doors beyond lead to staff rooms.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its architectural and social-hisorical interest as an exceptionally well-preserved and strongly designed early C20 school, retaining original internal layout and high quality detailing.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29506347

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)