Swanwick Hall School

Swanwick Hall School is an early 18th-century house, significantly altered in the late 19th century and extended in the 1930s and 1959. Constructed of red brick with stone and gauged brick dressings, it has slate and plain tile roofs.

The original 18th-century part is three storeys and three bays, flanked by recessed, three-bay wings added in the late 19th century to the right and a two-bay wing to the left. Classrooms added in the 1930s are located behind each wing, connected by a north-facing corridor that forms a rear courtyard. The 18th-century section features a stone plinth, steps leading to a central, pedimented Tuscan doorcase with a pulvinated frieze and a half-glazed door. Twelve-pane sashes are on either side of the doorcase, with three nine-pane sashes above, and a further three smaller nine-pane sashes above again. All windows below have flat, gauged brick arches. A dentilled stone cornice and hipped slate roof with a central, square lantern are present, all topped by a hipped roof. Brick side wall stacks are capped.

The right wing has a wide doorcase with a panelled door flanked by side lights, all beneath a flat, gauged brick arch with a stone keyblock and bracketed stone hood. To the right of the doorcase is a sash in a pilastered stone surround supporting an oriel window above. There’s also a moulded oval window with a keystoned surround and a shell-headed niche in a pilastered surround, also supporting an oriel window. Two canted stone oriels have sashes to each side, and above the doorcase is a semi-circular headed fixed small-pane window beneath a flat brick arch. All sashes to this wing have glazing bars to the upper sash and plain lower sashes. Continuous first-floor and sill stringcourses, a moulded stone cornice, and ramped brick parapets are present. The left wing features a large, canted ground floor bay with a balustraded parapet, full-height 20th-century windows to each side, and two 20th-century windows below flat brick arches. A moulded stone cornice and brick parapets sit above. The right wing has a hipped roof, and both wings have brick stacks. The left wing is dated 1891. The rear elevation of the original house has sashes below flat brick arches and a central stone porch with a pedimented doorcase. Extensions added by George Widdows feature central, tall semi-circular archways through the wings, flanked by ramped walls and classrooms to either side, with open timber arcaded corridors to the front and small-paned windows under hipped plain tile roofs.

The interior of the original hall retains a late 19th-century, cantilevered open well staircase with twisted and straight metal balusters, a wreathed and ramped handrail, and stone steps. Original 18th-century cornices and doors are found throughout. George Widdows, the County Architect in the early 20th century, is known for pioneering healthier school building designs, incorporating extra ventilation and verandah corridors.