Belmont School

Belmont School

Former country house, now school. Built 1879-1880 by G. Redmayne to plans of Alfred Waterhouse for Price Waterhouse, extended in 1881-2, 1887 and 1889. The building is constructed of Bargate stone rubble with hot orange brick dressings, tile hung to the first floor on the right. The left side features paler stone rubble with ashlar dressings and red brick dressings in the later wing. Plain tiled roofs sit under ridge cresting.

The building follows an L-shaped plan with a projecting wing to the left and courtyard to the front. It rises to two storeys and attics over a basement. Panelled brick ridge stacks stand to the left of centre and to the centre on the left-hand wing, with diagonal stacks to the right of the main gable.

The main range displays three gabled dormers with heavy bargeboards and casement windows under patterned top-lights. A first floor window appears under a tile pentice to the right. Three segmental-head, 3-light, wood-framed stained glass windows occupy the ground floor to the right, alternating with buttresses on a sill course and raised up in splayed surrounds. The range to the left of centre is set back with three first floor and two ground floor windows under cambered heads, with a string course over the ground floor. A gabled bay occupies the angle between two wings, featuring a coved half-timber gable above. Below stands one window on each floor, with a 3-light casement in the gable. The newer range to the left has a central gabled entrance bay with one window on each floor and a door under a pentice hood porch. A square brick bay spans the angle to the end with a first floor gallery connecting the two ranges.

The main house displays a large entrance gable with a square, stained-glass, wood-framed, splay-sided oriel window of very decorative glazing. Below runs a ribbed brick corbel with moulded courses. Ten trefoil-head upper lights and a single window in the supporting pillar feature prominently. Triple foliate-grilled openings open to the basement. A segmental-head entrance to the right of the gable has moulded, splay-sided edges and a hood mould. Above it sits a triple panel containing bas-reliefs by Professor Joseph Kopf depicting the three daughters—Theresa, Ellen and Valentine—representing Faith, Hope and Charity. A tiled floor occupies the porch recess with panelled surround to the main door. The door itself features fine Celtic style scrolled hinges and arched panels to the sides.

The right-hand return front displays a timber-framed full height bay over the basement with decorative framing and a dated stack reading "1889 E.W.". The rear elevation features a gable to the left with a square bay below, further gables to the centre and right, and a pentice-roofed verandah across the ground floor with braced posts.

The interior contains remarkable features throughout. The Dining Room (formerly Library) displays a coved fireplace with foliage and dog-tooth pattern panelling over the lintel. Pierced floral patterns appear below with crocketed niches at the ends. An inscription carved over the fireplace reads half in Dutch and half in Latin. Flanking scrolls and panelled inglenooks with bench seating sit either side of the chimney breast, covered with original William Morris wallpaper of paired bird and flower pattern. A sunflower band runs to the top of the fireplace, and the original high-gloss peacock tiles remain on the grate. Panelled ceilings with cornices and some panelled bookcases with C-scroll hinges complete this room.

The Living/Study Room features a panelled ceiling with a large floral plaster frieze. The main hall rises the full height with a 3-bay double gallery to one end on braced and moulded posts, with a wider centre bay and narrower flanking bays. Angel corbels support the Queen-post roof, and splat balusters form the main staircase balustrade. Five artificial stone panels on one wall represent music. Entrance doors at one end descend five marble steps. A fireplace on the side wall has a coved top, flanking benches and mirrored overmantle, with billeted dado panels and a cinquefoil hood. Tiled fireplaces survive on the first floor in an unusually complete interior.