Craneswater Middle School

PORTSMOUTH

SZ6598 ALBERT ROAD, Southsea 774-1/16/311 (South side) 25/09/72 Craneswater Middle School (Formerly Listed as: ALBERT ROAD, Southsea Southern Modern School for Boys)

II

School building. 1910. By AE Cogswell. Red brick in stretcher and English bond, stone dressings. Steep pitched hipped plain tiled roof, external brick stack at right of centre. STYLE: Free Flemish. EXTERIOR: 6 bays, 2 storeys and attic. Main block set back from Albert Road and the centre 3 bays project. At centre are 3 large round-headed 5-light wide wood mullioned and transomed casements each set under gauged brick round arch with keystone and 4 stone voussoirs which extend to meet moulded stone bead, yellow brick band at springing level and halfway above the moulded stone band sill. Centre casement has flanking brick pilasters to ground and first floors, each with stone cap. Centre part has flanking octagonal brick turrets terminating above first floor with moulded stone panels, cornice and ogee cap. Moulded stone sillband to first floor with three 5-light wide wood mullioned and transomed casements each set under flat stone arch, heavy moulded stone band. Centre bay has 4 small attic casements set within elaborate shaped brick and stone facing gable, flanking brick pilasters, moulded stone band, short brick pilasters each with stone Ionic cap, moulded stone cornice, scrolls and semicircular stone fan gable, flanking arcaded stone balustraded parapet. To rear of gable at intersection with main roof is a square timber cupola with lead covered base, balustrade with round-arched opening on each side with pediment over, ogee lead covered dome with pinnacle. On left of centre part and to first floor is a 3-light wide wood mullioned and transomed casement, each set under a flat stone arch, facing ornate stone coped brick gable with semicircular stone fan apex. On right of central part is a 3-light wide casement set under flat stone arch and divided horizontally at centre by stone panels. First floor has 3-light wide wood transomed casement. On right external brick stack and then a semicircular 6-light wide wood mullioned and transomed casement set under gauged brick arch with keystone and 4 stone voussoirs, moulded stone band and sillband to first floor with a 2-light wide wood

mullioned and transomed casement flanked by brick pilasters and set under flat stone arch with ornate facing gable similar to that on left side with 2 small attic casements. Entrances on left and right returns. INTERIOR not inspected. (Balfour A: Portsmouth: London: 1970-: 71; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 106, 108; Nash A: AE Cogswell - Architect within a Victorian City: Portsmouth Polytechnic: 1975-: 48-51; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 449).

Listing NGR: SZ6520898988