The Old Grammar School

THE OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL

This school, now a nursing home, was built in 1655 with a headmaster's house added in 1770 and further additions and alterations made in the 19th century. It is constructed of red English garden wall bond brick with ashlar dressings and a slate roof, arranged in two and three storeys.

The road front faces Vicarage Lane. To the left is a four-bay section dating from 1655. This portion has an ashlar plinth with chamfered top and flush ashlar quoins to the left-hand corner, with an ashlar string-course between the floors. A central doorway, now blocked, features a moulded ashlar surround and an arched datestone above. To either side of the doorway are 4-light windows with moulded ashlar surrounds, mullions and a transom. The first floor has four semi-dormer windows of 3 lights with moulded ashlar surrounds, ashlar kneelers to the gables, and ashlar coping with sceptre finials.

To the right of this original section is the three-bay headmaster's house of 1770, which projects forward and extends further right than the 1655 range. It features cambered-headed windows to both floors with exposed sash boxes and windows of 3 by 4 panes, with a dentilled brick band to the eaves.

The left-hand gable end belongs to the 1655 phase and has flush quoins to the corners, one 4-light ashlar-surrounded window to the ground floor, and a 4-light first-floor window in the gable with stone kneelers, coping and sceptre finial.

To the left of this is a 19th-century addition in matching style, executed in orange brick with stone dressings, arranged in three bays. It features a low gabled projection at centre with a central 2-light mullioned window, and to the right a 4-light mullioned window with two transoms and a stepped sill. Both lateral windows are set in gables with stone springers, coping and sceptre finials.

The right-hand side shows the gable end of the headmaster's house on the left, with three cambered-headed windows to each floor and one to the attic gable. To its right and recessed is the gable end of the 17th-century portion, which has two 3-light mullioned and transomed windows to the ground and first floors and a similar one to the attic, with stone string-courses dividing the floors and ashlar surrounds to the windows.

The rear elevation features a massive brick chimney stack at the left and, to its right, five gablets each containing a three-light semi-dormer window with ashlar surround, ashlar kneelers, coping and sceptre finials. The ground floor is masked by 19th-century additions.

Interior: The school room interior is now subdivided to form bedrooms. One room contains an ashlar fire surround with a moulded 4-centred arch. The staircase consists of four flights with closed string, square newels with ribbed corners terminating in faceted ball finials (one continuing to the roof), moulded splat balusters and an ovolo-moulded hand rail with central fillet moulding to the top. The attic has exposed timbers with roof trusses consisting of principals and a collar with purlins and a ridge.

The school was endowed in 1655 by Sir Ralph Bolton and Thomas Gamull, two Merchant Taylors.