Old High School, University of Teesside

The Old High School, now part of the University of Teesside, was built in 1877 by A. Waterhouse, with John Johnson (Auckland) acting as builder. A west extension was added in 1906, designed by T.A. Lofthouse of Middlesbrough. The building is constructed of brick with sandstone dressings, and has Lakeland slate roofs with a Lancashire slate and terracotta ridge cresting on the extension. It is designed in the Gothic style.

Originally eleven bays wide, with a slightly projecting, six-stage central tower, four bays were demolished around 1965. The tower features a projecting gabled porch with a pointed opening framed by two roll-moulded orders and chamfered responds. The gable bears the inscription "AUT DISCE AUT DISCEDE". The tower’s returns have gabled angle buttresses and Caernarvon-headed windows. The second stage has chamfered-mullioned windows while the third stage features a segmental-headed window flanked by paired trefoil-headed slit windows. Transomed windows are found in the fourth and fifth stages, recessed under a continuous hoodmould with watershots in the spandrels. The fifth stage's aprons display the arms of J.W. Pease and Middlesbrough Corporation, along with the date 1875. The sixth stage features brick corbelling with slit bell openings, a gabled half dormer with a mosaic clock face, and an ornate finial. The building has a straight parapet and tall end stacks with linked octagonal shafts; the steeply-pitched French pavilion roof is topped with iron cresting and spike finials.

The main block's right bays have segment-headed cross windows on the ground floor, and mullioned windows on the first floor, alternating with tall mullioned-and-transomed windows in gabled half-dormers with plate-traceried round vents. The right extension is a two-storey, five-bay, gabled structure with similar windows and stepped windows on the first floor, culminating in a shaped finial and ridge stack. A doorway in the left return of the extension has a blind overlight featuring the arms of Bell, Pease, and Middlesbrough Corporation.

Internally, there are two altered masonry dogleg staircases with iron column balusters, octagonal newels, and moulded wood handrails in the tower. The roof has a panelled ceiling with octagonal ties and shaft rings, along with spoked bracing to the principals and collars. Later, early and mid 20th century rear extensions are not considered to be of special architectural interest.