Riverside School

SOUTHWARK

TQ3479 FARNCOMBE STREET 636-1/6/340 (South East side) Riverside School

II

Formerly known as: Farncombe Street School Board School FARNCOMBE STREET. School Board school. Dated 1874. By MP Manning of Gale and Manning. Brick in English bond with stone dressings; roofs of slate. STYLE: Gothic Revival style. PLAN: 3 storeys over basement; 10-window range; single-storey wing of 3-window range to the north and single-storey wing of one-window range to the south. Shallow, U-shaped plan with centre projection to the rear. EXTERIOR: end bays of 2 windows each terminate in a steeply-pitched gable; from the 1st floor to gable a pointed-arch recess for the windows; tympanum pierced by quatrefoil round. Pointed-arched loggia between projecting bays on the ground floor, to either side a pointed-arch entrance inscribed in Gothic script, that to the left marked for "Infants and Girls". Flat-arched windows behind loggia. Stone storey band above loggia inscribed: "School Board for London Farncombe Street School 1874". Pair of ground-floor windows to projecting wings are segmental-arched with 2 lights. All windows with stone mullions and transoms; flat-arched unless otherwise noted. Pair of 1st-floor windows in end wings of 2 lights; 1st-floor windows in intermediary ranges are 2-light and set in segmental-arched recess. Storey band between 1st and 2nd floors. Top storey with four 4-light windows, 2 in the intermediary range finish in gabled dormers. All gables with kneelers, stone coping and tripartite light slits. South wing has 4-light window set in pointed-arched recess, the tympanum of which pierced by cinquefoil round. Railings to loggia and basement area. Rear elevation with gabled bays; recessed one-window range bays, centre projection of 4-window range. All windows in projecting block are segmental-arched and 2 lighted to the halls. High hipped and gableted roof, on ridge of hip a wooden cupola with metal cap; decorative weather vane. INTERIOR: not inspected. HISTORICAL NOTE: Riverside School is an early and fine example of the work commissioned by the London School Board from architects in private practice. The ecclesiastical character

of this design was soon eclipsed in the workmanlike compositions of the Board's architect ER Robson. Early Robson designs in the Borough are the Southwark Park School, Southwark Park Road (qv), the Flint Street Schools, Flint Street (qv), and the Bellenden Road Schools, Bellenden Road (qv), all designed before 1879.

Listing NGR: TQ3441679604