Former Bowling Green Lane Board School

Former Bowling Green Lane Board School

This former London Board School, now used as photographers' studios, dates from 1874 and was designed by the Architects Department of the London School Board, with Edward Robson probably collaborating with J J Stevenson. It stands on the south side of Bowling Green Lane in Finsbury.

The building is constructed of beige and brown stock brick in English bond, with finely cut red brick, rubbed red brick quoins, and stone dressings. The roof is Welsh slate with intersecting gabled sections and ridge tiles; tall, prominent moulded-brick stacks rise from the ends, rear, and various intersecting bays. The design follows the Queen Anne Style.

The structure follows a modified H block-plan with longer wings running parallel to Bowling Green Lane. It presents a symmetrical gabled front facing the Lane, with a centre bay set within a brick recess. The sides are picturesque and irregular with projecting bays. A discreet 20th-century rear extension has been added. The building rises to two storeys with an attic storey lit by fine hipped roof dormers at the ends of the front block. The gabled front facing Bowling Green Lane contains a seven-window range.

Separate Boys' and Girls' entrances are located in attached walls flanking the main front block, with stone panels above them on the rear elevation. Additional entrances at the ends of the main block feature elaborate brick dressings. Windows throughout have red gauged-brick heads (segmental, flat or camber-arched), stone sills and keystones. Multi-paned white-painted wooden windows include sashes, casements and fixed glazing; the taller windows lit the classrooms. Elaborate red brick and stone storey bands run across all elevations.

The ground-floor front elevation features a possibly altered cambered sash at the centre, set in a brick recess and flanked by three segmental-arched sashes within round-arched brick recesses. The first floor is irregular, with pedimented gables to intermediate bays containing paired flat-arched casement sashes set in arched recesses with Free-Classical detailing including brick pilasters and stone panels. The stone panels below the sills read "Bowling Green Lane School 1874" with brick coping above. Other sashes have cambered heads except for the prominent centre sash, which is segmental and flanked by brick pilasters supporting a pediment, set in a brick recess and positioned out of line with other windows by dropping through the storey band. Details on the side and rear elevations follow similar patterns in a plainer and freer manner than the Bowling Green Lane front.

The interior has undergone only minor alterations. The Boys' and Girls' schools are accessed by two separate rear entrances and staircases, with separate school rooms to either side provided with end lighting. The rooms on both floors remain well-preserved and airy, particularly the tall ground-floor front halls, which feature fine arched ceilings and large unaltered white-painted windows. Playgrounds occupy the rear and sides of the building.

This is one of a very small surviving group of London Board schools from Edward Robson's early period when he was directly responsible for the design, and possibly one where he was assisted by the influential and talented private architect J J Stevenson.