Chatham House School And Railed Area

Chatham House School and its surrounding railed area was built between 1879 and 1882 by Aaron Twyman, with construction by W.W. Martin. It is built of salmon pink brick and terracotta, with a plain tiled roof. The school comprises two large blocks, with a central tower ensemble. The northern block is three stories high with a basement, and features gables to the left and right, with a tower and turret between them. The central range is divided into six bays by full-height buttresses that project as pinnacles over the parapet. Stacks are located to the left and right. Large paired segmental windows are present on the second floor of the central portion. Groups of four, five, or six lancets are arranged in each bay on the first floor, and paired segmental lights are found on the ground floor, with paired lights also to the basement. A moulded arched gateway is located to the left, and a smaller pedestrian arch sits to the right, within the gabled projections. The pedestrian arch has a bay window and balcony above, offset to the left and right. The southern block consists of six bays and end gables, with more regular fenestration, featuring traceried windows on the second floor. The railed area has fleur-de-lys rails. The rear elevation displays similar treatment, but with less crowded fenestration; the central block is more clearly distinguished, being two stories high with an attic and having a more domestic appearance, featuring a gable with a stack, a dormer to the right, tripartite sashes on the first floor, and a canted bay with segmentally headed windows on the ground floor. The school buildings, particularly the northern block, contain a chapel, workshops, laboratories, a gymnasium, a laundry, a sanatorium, and a hall, along with teaching and residential facilities. Contemporary records praise the plumbing, including four miles of hot water pipes. The school was originally founded on the site in 1809.