Former Legat'S School Of Ballet

TQ 53 SE 14/1005

ROTHERFIELD CATT'S HILL Former Legat's School of Ballet

GV II

Former orphanage, later girls school, derelict at time of survey. 1865-8 by Edward Welby Pugin as a girls orphanage. Gothic style. Built of red brick in Flemish bond with stone dressings, polychromatic black headers and slate roof with ribbed brick chimneystacks. 3 storeys and attics: 19 windows. Comprises central gabled feature, recessed wings and end gables. Central projecting gable has elaborate saddlestone and 2nd floor 4 light window with typanum depicting Christ with mothers and children. Quatrefoil transomes. Larger and elaborate lst floor window 4-light with central sculpture of St George slaying the dragon. Tefoliated window heads with quatrefoil motifs above and to balustrading and aprons. Arched doorcase to ground floor with dying mouldings and female masks. Double doors with chamfered panels. Recessed wings on each side of 7 bays. Mansard roofs with some bands of fishscale tiles, corbelled eaves and diamond motifs in black headers. 7 narrow gabled dormers with finials. 1st floor has 7 arched windows with mullions and transomes, trefoil heads and cinquefoil lights. Ground floor has 14 Caernarvon arched windows. End gables have saddlestones. 2nd floor 3-light mullioned and transomed casement with cinquefoil above. 1st floor has 2 trefoil windows and ground floor has 4 Caernarvon arched windows. Buttresses to left is a further 2 storey portion with 4 paired Caernarvon arched windows to 1st floor and to ground floor triple arched windows with quatrefoils. Plinth. Return elevation to right has 6 gabled dormers,6 Caernarvon arched sashes to 1st floor and 5 cambered windows to ground floor and the 1 storey service wing has 6 windows, mainly sashes but including 2 double Caernarvon arched windows. Rear elevation has 14 dormers. Cambered windows to ground and 1st floors. Central gable has transomed window to 2nd floor with trefoliated head and 3 light mullioned and transomed window to 1st floor. Right side gable has rose window. This was built as a pair with the boys orphanage of the same date; now Mayfield College and the convent of the Holy Child Jesus at Mayfield. It was originally built for about 120 girls and lodging for a community of religious women in charge. Up until c1924 the Society of the Holy Child Jesus was in charge.(see Builder 17 June 1865 p440, Builder 28 July 1866 p559 and Plates pp560-1: Building News 28 July 1865 p540; 11 May 1866 p309 and plates.

Listing NGR: TQ5770930760