Main Block At Watford Boys Grammar School

TQ 09 NE 3/16

RICKMANSWORTH ROAD Main block at Watford Boys Grammar School

GII 1910-12.Russell and Cooper.Very long neo-Georgian brick school building.Purple stock brick with red brick dressings.Two storey and attic, slate roofs and flat- topped dormers with glazing bars.Wood dentil eaves cornice.Three-nine-three centre range, the ends slightly projected and the roof above slightly hipped.Two brick ridge stacks.Exposed box sashes with glazing bars.Brick aprons beneath.Gauged brick heads and stone keystones to ground floor windows.Ornate central stone porch of early C18/Baroque type.Bolection moulded door surround, Roman Doric pilasters flanking carrying entablature and open segmental pediment,armorial cartouche in tympanum with dates 1704 and 1884 (dates of foundation of previous Watford schools).Each side of this central range is recessed five window section, five dormers,five bulls-eye windows with keystones to first floor,four small glazing bar sashes under relieving arches and one large sash similar to centre block windows to ground floor.Beyond, coming forward with slightly hipped roofs are further five window sections. Small glazing bar sashes with relieving arches to ground floor, large twenty pane sashes similar to centre block above, three dormers.At east end is an additional five window section similar to centre.To rear large hall, parallel to front, with three round headed windows under broken segmental pediment gables.Large flat headed windows between.Glazing bars. Octagonal cupola on brick base with copper dome.Four rear wings with pedimental gables and moulded wood cornices.Ornamental drainpipes with 1911 date on hopper-heads.

Listing NGR: TQ0978996328