The Old School House

The Old School House is a former school house, now a residential property, built around 1720 with later alterations in the 18th century. It was endowed by Elizabeth Grey of Risley Hall in her will of 1720. The building is constructed of red brick in Flemish bond, featuring yellow brick headers and gauged brick dressings. It has a steeply pitched plain tile roof with moulded stone copings on plain brick kneelers and large gable brick stacks. The façade includes double plain first and second floor bands with vitrified headers and a stepped and dentilled brick cornice.

The structure is two storeys plus garrets and consists of five bays arranged in a T-plan. The central entrance features a raised doorcase with a wide plain surround, chamfered on the inner edge, and double raised and fielded panelled doors. Above the entrance is a shell canopy supported by straight brackets, which interrupts the first floor band. Flanking the entrance are single late 18th-century glazing bar sashes under flat arches, set in disturbed brickwork. The upper floor has five 2-light timber cross windows with leaded casements, also under flat arches, with similar windows on the gable walls and rear wing.

Inside, the property retains its original dogleg staircase with a column on a vase baluster and a moulded handrail that extends through two floors. It also features all original raised and fielded six panelled doors, central ovolo moulded beams in each room, a richly moulded original fireplace in the upper east room, and original cornicing in the lower east room. This house was part of the Latin school complex and appears on a map from 1722 located at the Derbyshire County Record Office, although the Derbyshire Victoria County History suggests it was built in 1771, likely referring to the date of the alterations.