Saltburn Primary School (Marske Mill Base)

Saltburn Primary School (Marske Mill base), formerly the Girls' High School and shown on Ordnance Survey maps as Saltburn County Junior School, was built in 1903 and altered in the late 20th century. It was designed by Russell & Cooper, with Edwin Cooper acting as contract architect for West Richmondshire Council. The building is constructed of red brick in stretcher bond, with tooled ashlar dressings, and has graduated light grey slate roofs. It is of Neo-Georgian style and has a U-plan.

The north elevation has 21 bays arranged in a 4:3:7:3:4 configuration. A low central projection features a double six-panel door within a stone architrave surround, topped by a broken pediment on scroll brackets, with a stone panel to the eaves. This is flanked by nine-pane windows in architraves. There are intermittent stone quoins, and round windows are incorporated into the returns. Behind the entrance block is a hall with five lunettes featuring radiating glazing bars. Set back are classroom bays with three tall windows, lower sashes, and top-hinged transom lights with glazing bars; the returns feature tripartite windows of similar style. Further back are classroom wings with four tall windows to the north. The side returns, containing nine bays, have eight sashes and a single round window. All round windows have stone keys surrounded by bright red brick. The roof is hipped at varying levels, with the hall roof rising to a tall, domed cupola on columns and a square plinth, topped by a dolphin wind vane. Wide dormers with glazing bars and flat heads are situated on the front and returns of the bays flanking the centre. The eaves overhang, and brick chimney stacks rise from the eaves at the front and inner eaves. Smaller louvred ventilators are found in the roofs of the wings. The south elevations of the wings have large lunettes with radiating glazing bars and keyed brick arches. The playground elevations, flanked by the wings, show smaller original projections.

The interior retains much of its original detail, including doors and windows. The hall features square piers on the north side, with clerestory lunettes on a deep entablature to both sides. Some original cloakroom fittings, including shoe boxes and shelves, remain. Edwin Cooper (1873-1942), who was knighted in 1923, was a leading architect of his generation, responsible for buildings including Scarborough Technical Schools, Marylebone Town Hall, The Port of London Authority Building, and The Star and Garter Home. Saltburn Primary School is an important early example of the Neo-Georgian style in schools.