Former Western Park Open Air School

This former open air school, built in the early 20th century with additions in the early 1930s, consists of a complex of buildings arranged on three terraces connected by concrete steps and paths. The buildings are generally constructed of brick with tiled roofs, designed in a domestic, neo-vernacular style characteristic of progressive educational architecture of the period.

Site Layout

The school buildings are laid out on sloping ground formed into three terraces. The complex comprises: a central L-shaped administrative building of two storeys with a basement; a long, single-storey glazed range that served as a dining hall; a single-storey building with dormer windows behind this to the north; three chalet-style blocks containing double classrooms to the north-west; a long, single-storey glazed range to the south-east; and a single-storey pavilion-style building to the east, added in the early 1930s. All elements are linked by covered walkways of plywood construction with plastic glazing, added in 1974, which are not of special interest.

A playground lies to the south of the chalet classrooms with tiered borders around the edges. A paved area to the east of the U-shaped building leads through a gate to what was probably the vegetable garden. The retaining wall along the north-east boundary is partially buried and overgrown but has discernible tiers and alcoves constructed of stone.

Administrative Building

The administrative building is a domestic, neo-vernacular building, rendered overall, with pitched roofs clad in plain, red ceramic tiles. The south wing of the L-shape has two storeys and a basement.

The west elevation consists of two gabled bays. The left bay, which projects slightly and has two tiled off-sets on its right side, contains the front door under a plain cambered head. To the left is a two-light casement window with timber glazing bars and tile-creasing at the sill, and above is a tall, four-light window. The fenestration has the same detailing throughout all elevations. The right gable has a horizontal four-light window on the ground floor and an eight-light window above.

The south elevation presents a gable end with a projecting chimney which has tiled off-sets, a tall brick stack, and a small, hipped oriel with bonnet tiles. To the right is a three-light window, and below are the stairs to the cellar.

The east elevation has, from the left, a four-light and a two-light window on the ground floor, and two four-light windows above.

The single-storey west wing, which contained the hydrotherapy rooms, has a tall, off-centre, four-light window on both north and south elevations which rises through the eaves to form a hipped dormer with bonnet tiles. Small windows sit at eaves level either side. At the rear of the building is a small, single-storey block constructed of brick, added later in the 20th century.

Internally, the layout has remained virtually unaltered, except for a small section of the balustrade at the top of the staircase which has been truncated to create a cupboard. On the ground floor the two south-facing rooms retain their small, plain brick stoves. On the first floor the lift used to transport food down to the dining room survives. The windows, radiators, and joinery, including fitted cupboards, skirting boards, picture rails, and four-panelled doors with their frames and furniture, are almost completely intact.

Multi-Purpose Dining Hall

Attached to the east side of the administrative building is a five-bay, glazed, single-storey building, formerly used as the multi-purpose dining hall. It is constructed of brick, painted overall, under a steeply pitched roof clad in red, ceramic plain tiles, which has four hipped dormer windows with bonnet tiles. The main entrance door in the left bay has been replaced with an automatic sliding door but the original frame survives. The next four bays contain the original pairs of glazed double doors with timber glazing bars which allow the room to be completely opened up.

Internally, a lower ceiling has been inserted but the original steel roof trusses are visible above it. The parquet floor is intact. At the east end of the hall a single-storey, brick, flat-roofed kitchen has been added in the late 20th century. This is not of special interest.

Single-Storey Range to South-East

The long, glazed, single-storey range to the south-east is constructed of brick, painted overall, under a shallow hipped roof clad in brown, composite tiles. The ends of the building project slightly on both fronts: the north-west end has two pairs of glazed doors with timber glazing bars on two sides, and the south-east end is glazed on three sides. The long range in between has twenty bays with double doors in bays one, two, seven, eight, thirteen, fourteen, nineteen and twenty; all but the first are original. The other bays have an eighteen inch plinth, which protected pupils' feet from draughts and cold, with pairs of eight-pane casement windows with timber glazing bars above.

Internally, each end of the building forms a room. The south-east room retains its double, folding partition doors, and both rooms have a stove, now blocked up. The long central range is divided into two principal rooms. The steel truss roof and matchboard cladding on the ceiling are intact.

Pavilion to South-East

The single-storey pavilion-style building to the south-east has an irregular U-shaped plan. It is of brick construction, painted overall, under steep roofs clad in plain tiles with bonnet tiles at the hips. The left wing has a centrally placed uPVC door, flanked by large, multi-paned casement windows with metal glazing bars. The return walls have similar fenestration. The middle range contains a part-glazed door, flanked by brick piers, with two-light casement windows either side. The right wing has a three-light window and a replacement door. The interior was not available for inspection.

Building North of Administrative Building

The single-storey, neo-vernacular building to the north of the administrative block is rectangular on plan and rendered overall. The steep, bonnet-tiled hipped roof is clad in plain, red ceramic tiles, and has three hipped dormer windows, the central one a double window. It has five irregular bays, the first two containing replacement doors, and the latter three containing multi-paned casement windows with timber glazing bars. The original use of the building is unclear and the interior was not available for inspection.

Chalet Classrooms to North-East

The group of three chalet-style double classrooms to the north-east are glazed, six-bay, single-storey buildings of brick construction, painted overall. They have steep, bonnet-tiled hipped roofs clad in plain tiles with exposed rafters at the eaves, and a centrally-placed chimney stack on the rear pitch. Above an eighteen inch plinth are continuous multi-paned casement windows with timber glazing bars which allow the rooms to be completely opened up. More light is admitted by the clerestory under the eaves.

Internally, in each of the chalets the scissor-braced steel roof is intact, as are the stoves with their pipework, fitted cupboards, and panelled partition doors (except in the west chalet). The north chalet has had bathrooms inserted.

A small, brick toilet block was built between the east and west pavilions in 1974. This is not of special interest. Steps lead down from the classrooms to the south-facing playground.

Subsidiary Features

The school is approached over a typical 1930s style concrete bridge with walls curving upwards to the piers which are square on plan and have hipped caps and a frieze suggestive of triglyphs. To the north of the U-shaped pavilion is a subterranean concrete structure which is presumably an air-raid shelter.