Sibford School

Sibford School is a manor house, now a school, dating back to the 17th century, with alterations made in the 18th and 19th centuries. The external appearance is of regular coursed ironstone rubble at the rear, while the front is faced with ironstone ashlar. The roof is slated and hipped, featuring rendered brick ridge stacks. The original three-unit plan has been extended by a 19th-century addition to the right and a front range, creating a double-depth plan. The building is three storeys high plus an attic, and possesses a five-window front, increased by a further two-window addition on the right side in the 19th century. The central entrance is marked by a tall, six-panelled door set within a moulded stone architrave with a keyblock head and supported by a flat hood on brackets. Two semi-circular stone steps lead to the entrance, accompanied by a bootscraper. Flanking the entrance are tall 18th-century sash windows with architrave surrounds and keyblock heads. The first floor mirrors this pattern with five similar windows. The second floor has four renewed two-light casements with keystoned stone lintels. A single pedimented roof dormer is present. A stone parapet tops the facade. A two-storey, two-window extension, dating back to the 19th century, is situated on the right side, featuring sash windows with keyblock heads on both the ground and first floors, accented by flat bands between the floors. Glazing bars are evident throughout the windows. At the rear, there’s a three-light stone mullioned window with a hood mould and label stop. The interior includes a hall with a substantial stop-chamfered beam, 19th-century floor tiles, and a largely 18th-century open well staircase. A room on the left side of the hall showcases 18th-century panelling, while a music room on the right features an 18th-century alcove. A first-floor room on the left has a dado, windows with integrated seats, shutters, and panelled reveals. A school was established here by the Society of Friends in 1842.