Croft Infant School

Junior School. 1907. Designed by the architect Percy Bond Houfton (1874-1926).

MATERIALS. Red brick, pebble-dashed over sill height with stone, brick and tile dressings. Steeply pitched red plain tile roofs with tall brick vent stacks to rear pitch of roofs.

PLAN: X-plan with 4 four-bay classroom wings at 45 degree angles to central three bay hall.

EXTERIOR : The building is single storey with attics. The south elevation has a gabled central hall on a stone base to sill level and two stepped, almost full height, buttresses with stone offsets. There is tile decoration to the second stage and tiled gableted tops. These flank central double glazed doors below a segmental arch. There are similar doors to either side and above, a large segment headed four-light mullion and transomed timber window with tile hoodmould flanked by two-light timber mullion windows, also with tile hoodmoulds. The gable above has diamond tile decoration. Above again to the centre of the roof ridge is an octagonal cupola with leaded base, louvred arcaded sides and domed top supporting a weathervane. The flanking wings to the south-east and south-west have pairs of three-light timber mullion and transomed windows with three-light timber mullioned gabled roof dormers over. The south-west wing was extended to the south-west and north-east in C21.The centre bay and the two end bays are gabled and have three-light mullioned and double transomed timber windows below a continuous tile dripmould. There is diamond tile decoration to the gable above. The ends of the gabled bays have catslide roofs. The wings to the north-east and north-west are similarly detailed. The entrance on the north elevation is via a low single storey porch with double doors set at angles to the corners. There are four three-light windows to the porch front and large hopper heads to the gutters decorated with small hearts.