The Old School and Mount Pleasant

The Old School and Mount Pleasant are two houses formed from a former school, dating to the later 19th century. The building is constructed of distinctive Hitch’s patent bricks, a buff colour, with a low-pitched slate roof. A stock brick rear extension is also present, with a slate roof.

The north facade features a symmetrical arrangement of three windows over two storeys, with a tall central chimney composed of four circular shafts, detailed with necking and capping in the Hitch bricks. A single-storey schoolroom and porch extends from the west end, also constructed with Hitch’s bricks and featuring slate roofs. The building incorporates new casement windows, which are considered a less desirable feature.

Hitch’s bricks, patented in 1828 by Caleb Hitch of Ware, are approximately 12 inches by 6 inches by 6 inches and feature an interlocking system to reduce mortar usage and increase structural strength. Their use was largely confined to the Ware district, and this building represents the finest surviving example of the various applications of Hitch's bricks in the area.