National School

The National School is a building dating from the 1851 and 1871, situated on Church Street, between the church and the Brontë Parsonage museum. It is constructed of coursed dressed stone with stone slate roofs laid in diminishing courses.

The original plan was a rectangular block aligned east-west, with a porch facing south. Two later 19th-century extensions were added, each in the form of a block with a gable end facing north-south. The building is attached to the east to a separately rented Sexton's house, and a small enclosed courtyard lies to the rear. A remnant of a bellcote remains at the western end of the original section.

The south elevation of the original part features a projecting gabled porch with pointed arch windows, a Tudor arched entrance with a timber door, and a date plaque above the entrance. A stone plaque commemorates the 1966 restoration. The windows have projecting cills and mid-20th century glazing bars. To the left are two gabled bays with mullioned and transomed windows, a central Tudor arched doorway with original timber double doors and a raised square pediment bearing a carved shield. The west side features four mullioned and transomed windows with continuous hoodmoulds. The rear elevation has a pointed arch window above an entrance, with further pointed arch windows to either side. The later extensions project beyond the original section, with matching windows. A small pent-roofed addition is located in the corner of the left gable, and a later flat-roofed former entrance, built with non-matching stone, is centrally located between the two gables, with steps leading up to it.

Inside the original part of the building is a large, open hall, with a partitioned kitchen and office space at the east end. The roof structure is exposed, featuring wooden queen strut trusses. The section built in 1851 is open to the hall and raised to form a stage with a wooden floor and lowered ceiling. A corridor extends from the hall to the north side of the stage, providing access to toilets and an office with north-facing windows. Additional toilets are located within an addition to the hall and stage. These areas are plain, with modern fittings. The corridor continues to the rear of the stage, widening into a lobby which connects the two later sections. The section built in 1871 has been divided into a larger classroom and a smaller office/store, both with lowered ceilings.