School House and archway

The School House and archway in Ewelme is a house dating from around 1450, with alterations made in the 18th century. It is constructed of red brick and features an old plain-tile roof with brick stacks. The building is two stories tall and has a two-window range. The central entrance consists of a six-panel door, while to the right is a tripartite sash window. The first floor has a single-pane window in the center and a twelve-pane segmental-headed unhorned sash to the right. A massive lateral stack is located on the left side, and a massive end stack is on the right. The right end gable has a crow-stepped design. The rear of the building features an 18th-century front with two stories and a six-window range, displaying irregular fenestration of sashes. Although the interior has not been inspected, it is likely to be of interest.

To the left is a subsidiary wing that is a single story with an attic, connected by a brick squinch. This wing has a lancet window on the ground floor and a three-light gabled half-dormer above. To the right of the building is a mid-15th-century gateway featuring a Tudor arch, flanked by angled buttresses with embattled coping.

This structure is part of a complex built at the expense of the Earl and Countess of Suffolk. The Countess, Alice Chaucer, was born in Ewelme in 1409, the daughter of Thomas Chaucer, lord of the manor, and granddaughter of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. She married William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, in 1430, who was created Duke of Suffolk in 1448.

The use of brick in this building is among the earliest in the county.