Mostyn House School

Mostyn House School is a vast, irregular L-shaped complex comprising multiple buildings of varying dates, sizes and materials, some attached and others detached. A courtyard area occupies the north-west corner of the site, bordered by the front range to the south-west, the north range to the north-west, Old and New Cottages to the north-east, and the Grade II* listed chapel to the south-east. The north range extends north-east beyond the courtyard. A detached master's house called Jarrah stands to the north-east of the main school buildings, with a Second World War air raid shelter beneath the south playing field.

Exterior

Buildings in the north-west corner of the complex, including the former inn, have slate roofs, while most remaining buildings have red tiled roofs. The complex features substantial chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods throughout.

Front (south-west) range: This long 15-bay range faces The Parade, with an additional angled corner bay at the north-west end. The entire facade is rendered in black and white to imitate decorative close studding, with large multipaned casement windows. The range is mainly three storeys high. It incorporates the former Mostyn House Inn in the six bays at the north-west end, where the outer bays project forward. A taller three-storey section right of centre features a parapet and roof lantern at the centre of the ridge, with a full-height octagonal bay to the left forming part of the extended former inn. A wide, slightly projecting four-storey bay with a hipped roof stands to the right, containing a large arched window at ground floor level and paired windows above. Decorative rendered mock timberwork adorns the parapet, with the attic level stepped back and lit by a series of small windows on three sides. The south-east return of this bay has a roughcast render finish.

At the south-east end, a wide single-storey covered playground sits at right angles to The Parade. Its barrel roof of corrugated metal construction is concealed by a stepped parapet surmounted by ball finials painted black. The parapet incorporates relief black lettering reading 'MOSTYN HOUSE SCHOOL'. The ground floor has four large windows with two smaller windows at the centre above and a door to the right.

The rear elevation of the south-west range is roughcast rendered with stone dressings and large mullion and transom casement windows, some multipaned. Various projections of differing heights include a tall two-storey dining room at the north-west end with a double-height ground floor, a large traceried stained glass window, and a large single-storey extension to the south-east side. Three large windows to the left of the dining room and a flat-roofed, single-storey two-bay projection right of centre form an area known as the Conservatory. This projection has red brick and terracotta dressings and is lit by two large square windows with wide multipaned lunette windows above, surmounted by a balustrade.

The Grade II* listed red brick chapel dating to 1897 is attached at right angles to the centre rear of the south-west range via a two-storey flat-roofed belfry with an external carillon of 37 bells, presented to the school as a First World War memorial. (The carillon is due to be removed to another public school following the school's closure, as dictated by a historic covenant.) An 18th-century rendered range containing the gymnasium and a large circulatory space known as Black and White is attached at right angles to the left of centre of the rear elevation, with an altered and rebuilt north-east end wall. The theatre, built in 1927 with a pitched lead-covered roof and corrugated metal-clad north-east wall, sits behind the covered playground aligned with The Parade. A swimming pool building from 1980 to the rear has metallic cladding not of special interest and is excluded from the listing.

The left (north-west) return of the front range incorporates a three-storey range in roughcast render, now a kitchen range, that originally formed part of the 18th-century inn. It has sash and casement windows of varying style and size on each floor and continues into the north range.

North range and cottages: The south-western section of the north range, dating to 1890, is two-and-a-half storeys with plain brick to the north-west rear elevation and sash and casement windows of varying size, some with leaded stained glass in the upper panes. The principal south-east elevation facing the courtyard area is roughcast rendered with three-light windows at ground floor level and large six-light stone mullion and transom windows with hoodmoulds and carved foliate stops at first floor level.

The Old Cottage, built in 1881 by Algernon Sidney Grenfell as his family home, is attached at right angles to the centre of the north range's south-east elevation. Roughcast rendered and three storeys high (the uppermost storey is partly a 1920s addition with a 1960s flat-roofed red brick extension to the south-east end), its main five-bay south-west elevation faces the courtyard with a mixture of casement and sash windows of varying style and size; those with hoodmoulds are original. Three first-floor oriel windows occupy bays 1, 2 and 5, with the latter two examples gabled. The original entrance doorway with a quoined surround and hoodmould at ground floor level in bay 3 has been converted into a window, with a later door inserted to the left. The south-east return has mullioned windows on each floor with leaded glazing.

The larger three-storey New Cottage from 1898 immediately abuts the rear (north-east side) of Old Cottage. Built by Alfred Grenfell possibly with the involvement of Frederick Fraser and Warburton, it is in the Tudorbethan style with a red brick ground floor and decorative applied timber framing to the upper floors and gables with pegged timbers. It features substantial chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods with hoppers shaped as griffins, the Grenfell family symbol.

The principal five-bay north-east elevation has two wide gabled bays in bays 2 and 4, incorporating large eight-light mullion and transom windows with leaded glazing at ground and first floors, four-light projecting mullioned windows at second floor level, and jettied gables above with deep bargeboards surmounted by spire finials. Two narrower gabled outer bays follow the same style but with six-light windows to lower floors and three-light windows to the second floor. Each pair of gabled bays has identical decorative timberwork. The centre bay has a six-light window at first floor level and an integral balcony at second floor level.

A small cross-gabled porch from 1926 is attached to the ground floor of the centre bay, constructed in red sandstone with a red tiled roof. The entrance to the south-east side contains a door with multipaned glazing to the upper half, with a roundel above the doorway bearing a relief depiction of a griffin and a banner displaying the school motto 'LOYAL DEVOIR' (honest or loyal duty). A large multipaned window lights the north-east side.

The two-bay south-east end elevation follows the same style as the rest of the cottage, with a narrow bay to the left containing mullioned windows on each floor; that at first floor level forms part of a tiny oriel window. A much wider gabled bay to the right projects forward with octagonal ground and first floors incorporating cross windows and six-light mullion and transom windows to three sides on ground and first floors respectively. The bracketed second floor with pendants contains a four-light projecting mullioned window.

The five-bay north-eastern section of the north range was added in 1906. It is a simpler version of New Cottage with cast-iron hoppers shaped as griffins. Four bays to the left are gabled. The bay at the far left of the principal south-east elevation has an open vehicular entrance at ground floor level leading to a rear storage courtyard and former squash court and shooting room, with 'HALT HOOT CRAWL' in large black lettering above the entrance and a roller shutter to the rear wall. Two-storey canted oriel windows sit at first and second floors above; that at first floor level incorporates a stylised '1906' painted white, with a jettied gable above.

Bay 2 projects forward and is wider, with paired cross windows at ground floor level, a canted oriel window to the shallow-jettied first floor, a jettied second floor with paired mullion windows, and a doorway at ground floor level of the left return. Identically styled narrower bays 3 and 4 have six-light mullion and transom windows at ground and shallow-jettied first floors, with a jettied second floor. A plain cast-iron hopper at ground floor level between the bays bears a stylised gilded '1906' in relief.

A massive five-and-a-half-storey square water tower forms bay 5, built in the same vernacular style with a tall flat-arched doorway at ground floor level (partly hidden by a single-storey extension in front, but the original timber door with decorative strap hinges survives). A large flat-arched stair window sits above, with a covered balcony at the third stage. The corbelled fourth stage has applied close studding. Small observation windows set to the top part of the fourth stage continue around all four sides below the hipped roof. A brick stack rises at the north-west corner, with small dormer windows to the apex of each hip and a weather vane at the top.

A single-storey flat-roofed entrance porch from 1937 attached to the front of the tower leads into a two-storey classroom block of the same date and the 1922 infant department block. Both blocks, including the entrance porch, are not of special interest and are excluded from the listing. A well and small pebbledash pump house containing modern machinery to the north-east of the main school buildings are also not included in the listing.

Interior

The front (south-west) range, north range and cottages are all in the Arts and Crafts style with interior schemes dating to the 1890s. The vast majority of original 1890s features survive, including panelled doors (some incorporating leaded glazing), ceilings and corridors, wainscot panelling, internal leaded glazed windows, partly glazed screens, built-in cupboards, stairs, many fireplaces, woodblock and tiled floors at ground floor level, and floorboards to upper floors.

Front range: Ground floor rooms at the north-west end (formerly the inn) have lower ceilings. Three main stairs serve the range; that adjacent to the belfry link is lit by stepped stained glass windows. Rooms in the rest of the range include the Tea Room from 1897-1900 at ground floor level, with a door incorporating mock-Jacobean geometric panelling, walls panelled up to picture rail level, heavy ceiling beams, a vast inglenook fireplace, and window seats.

The double-height dining room from 1891 has a balustraded gallery (with no access) to the south-west side lit by two internal cross windows, and a large stained glass memorial window to Algernon Sidney Grenfell depicting Faith, Hope and Charity and the school's emblem of organ pipes surmounted by a griffin.

A small hall or circulatory space known as Black and White at the south-eastern end of the range has a chequerboard tiled floor and leads into the covered playground (originally an open ball court or playground but covered over in the 1890s) with a barrel roof supported by wrought-iron ties and a floorboard floor.

The theatre from 1927, with access from Black and White and the covered playground, has its original stage at the north-west end, a dressing room off to the north-east side, and tiered seating with non-fixed benches believed to have been salvaged from a railway.

The organ loft at first floor level of the belfry link building from 1922 has two stepped stained glass windows to the south-west wall with geometric patterning, and a rectangular recess to the north-east wall containing pink-coloured relief banner decoration with the school's motto 'LOYAL DEVOIR' in gilded relief lettering.

Upper floors contain classrooms, staff accommodation and former dormitories (some with later partitions), and a former billiards room at first floor level with raised bench seating. A large former dormitory at the south-east end of the second floor has a large fireplace and decorative roof trusses with arched inserts, some scrolled latticework, arch braces and pendants.

North range: Quarry tiled floors and Spanish tiled dados characterise the ground floor kitchen range in the south-west section, with a corridor along the south-east side incorporating a fireplace at the south-west end. The rest of the range, including the 1906 north-eastern section, contains former dormitories (now classrooms), former staff accommodation and changing rooms.

A large stair well at the centre of the north-east section has an open-well stair with a geometric balustrade and newels with tapering caps, lit by a large roof lantern. Landings have original glazed floors and internal windows, with access into the cottages via a doorway to the south-east side of the landing on each floor.

The water tower contains an open-well stair, a water tank at third floor level, and a smaller secondary stair accessing the top floor observation room with floorboard and Spanish tiled floor. A small room in the roof is accessed by a ladder stair in the observation room.

Cottages: The cottages are amalgamated internally with an interior scheme dating to around 1898. Decorative Spanish tiled floors cover most of the ground floor including hallways, with woodblock floors to the rest of the ground floor and floorboards to upper floors. Ten-panel doors are fitted throughout. A spine corridor has rooms off to south-west and north-east sides, and a large room at the south-east end of New Cottage on each floor. Spanish tiled dados of varying pattern feature in ground floor hallways and some ground floor rooms. Panelled dados line first floor hallways. Some rooms have panelled ceilings and walls.

Original fire surrounds remain, some with overmantles incorporating mirrors and shelving. One at ground floor level in the south-west corner room in Old Cottage incorporates a coved hood supported by tall barley-twist columns. All grates have been removed. Original built-in cupboards survive throughout.

The main dog-leg stair sits at the centre of the north-east side in New Cottage with a panelled under-stair, thick carved newel posts, decorative splat balusters, and a closed string with Tudorbethan-style geometric carvings. A large window seat occupies the first half-landing level, with a partly-glazed panelled door and screen at the second half-landing leading out to a balcony. The second floor landing is now boxed-in behind the stair balustrade with an internal four-light window. A later roof terrace and lean-to conservatory occupy the south-eastern end of the second floor in Old Cottage.

The south-east end room at second floor level in New Cottage has a partially exposed truss incorporating a painted banner to the tie beam displaying the motto 'LOYAL DEVOIR/RESPICE FINEM', which translates as 'Loyal duty, look to or consider the end before setting forth'.

Jarrah

Exterior: The master's house known as Jarrah is two storeys with a pitched tiled roof and cast-iron rainwater goods. Built of brick (left exposed at plinth level) with render to the south-east, south-west and north-east elevations painted black and white to imitate close studding, the north-west elevation has plain roughcast render.

The two-bay south-east (front) elevation has gabled bays incorporating wide multipaned casement windows on each floor. A gabled porch at ground floor centre has tall multipaned windows to the south-east and north-east sides, with a door to the south-west side. Smaller windows in the same style appear in the north-east and south-west gable ends, with an additional doorway also in the south-west gable end.

Interior: Quarry tiled floors cover the ground floor, with floorboards at first floor level. The central stair has two rooms to the left side of the ground floor and one large room to the right with access into the rear left room. A similar layout at first floor level has two rooms to the right with the wall knocked through to create a single space. Picture rails feature in most rooms, with some rooms having Spanish tiled dados. Original four-panel doors and moulded architraves remain, along with built-in cupboards and some timber fire surrounds with tiled cheeks.

Second World War Air Raid Shelter

A concrete stair entrance with a barrel-shaped corrugated steel roof set to the south-west of Jarrah leads down into the school's Second World War air raid shelter, aligned approximately north-west to south-east underneath the playing field. It now serves as a rifle range.

Interior: The shelter is constructed of reinforced concrete with a vaulted corrugated steel roof and original steel doors, and is 18 bays long. A modern partition wall with a doorway and viewing window has been inserted at the north-western end to create a small office or waiting area for the rifle range. An additional partition wall with shooting targets has been inserted at the south-eastern end. The original pump and three wall-mounted lights have been moved from their original locations to the north-west end wall.

History

In 1855 the 18th-century former Mostyn Arms Hotel (originally known as the George Inn) in Parkgate became an independent school known as Mostyn House School. Most of the land in Parkgate originally formed part of Sir Thomas Mostyn's estate. The boys' school, which had been established in the Cheshire village of Tarvin in 1854 by Edward Price, moved to the coastal settlement to enable it to accept boarders after outgrowing its original premises. In 1862 Price transferred the school to his nephew Algernon Sidney Grenfell, and the headship remained in the Grenfell family until the school's closure in 2010. The school is the birthplace and place of education of Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (1865-1940), medical missionary and social reformer.

The school was greatly extended in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Alfred Grenfell to his own designs (the 1898 extension to the Grenfells' cottage was possibly designed with the involvement of Frederick Fraser and Warburton), including the addition of a Grade II* listed chapel in 1897. In 1922 a separate belfry building was constructed surmounted by a carillon of 37 bells (not part of the school's freehold), which were given to the school as a First World War memorial. A classroom block was added in 1937 by A.M.D. Grenfell, and in 1972 and 1980 further additions were made by A.D.J. Grenfell. In 1932-1933 the north-western end of the front range facing The Parade was extended forward and the entire range given a black and white mock-Tudor facade.

During the Second World War a large air raid shelter was constructed underneath the sports field to accommodate 100 pupils plus teachers. The shelter was later used as a sports hall but subsequently fell into disuse. In 2006-2007 the shelter was cleared out, repaired and converted into a rifle range, which opened in 2008. In 1980 the school's swimming pool dating to 1893 was replaced by a more modern version.

In the 1980s Mostyn House School became co-educational and it remained a boarding school until 1989 when it became a day school with a nursery, prep school and senior school. Mostyn House School closed on 7 July 2010.