St Benets School

St Benets School, formerly known as Alderwasley Hall, is a country house that has been converted into a school. It was built in the late 18th century, with some additions made in the 19th century. The building is constructed from massive ashlar gritstone, featuring a smooth rendered and painted facade. It has a moulded cornice with a parapet above, and ashlar intermediate ridge stacks with moulded caps. The roof is covered with slate and lead.

The main structure is symmetrical, consisting of three storeys above a basement and has seven bays arranged in a 3:1:3 pattern, with the central bay being pedimented and slightly advanced. The flanking ranges each feature a Venetian window on the central ground floor, while the other windows are glazing bar sashes that decrease in height from the ground to the second floor. These windows have plain surrounds and projecting cills. The central bay includes a tripartite sash window on the first floor and a Diocletian window above it. A broad ashlar band separates the openings of the ground floor and first floor.

The central doorway has a moulded eased surround, a pulvinated frieze, and a pediment supported by scrolled brackets. It features double four-panelled doors and is enclosed by a mid-19th century porch that is flat-roofed and single-storeyed, supported by four columns with banded rustication and an entablature. The side walls have glazing bar sashes with rusticated surrounds and shallow arched heads with triple keyblocks. There are stepped half-bay extensions at the south-west end, which also have ground floor glazing bar sashes. The side elevation has four glazing bar sashes, followed by five more in the 19th century extension. The house was built for Francis Hurt.