St Bedes Main School Building, Including Attached Railings, Gatepiers And Gates

This is a former school, dated 1905, and built for the Reigate Education Authority by John Moir Kennard. It served as the secondary school. The building is in the Vernacular Revival style. The ground floor is constructed of red brick, while the first floor is pebbledashed, with a tiled roof, brick chimneystacks, a square cupola housing a school bell, wooden columns, and a pyramidal roof.

The main school building is two storeys high, with six windows to the principal front. Due to the building being partially below ground level, the principal entrance, located on the north-east side, is accessed via a two-storey porch featuring round-headed arches. The upper storey of the porch is inscribed "BOYS" and the lower storey "GIRLS". The corner of the porch is decorated with putti, and a stone panel with a floral motif and a Diocletian window is present to the left. The porch is connected by a brick bridge and retaining wall, featuring cast iron railings that lead to brick, octagonal gatepiers with a cast iron gate and further cast iron railings along the street front. The northeasternmost three windows to the entrance front are arranged beneath a large pediment with a modillion cornice, and retain original bulbous cast iron rainwaterheads. These windows are sash windows; the taller central first-floor window has shell moulding above. The remaining part of this front has two triple windows on the ground floor, separated by an elaborate projecting curved gable with three stone ball finials and corbel heads of putti. The gable features a carving of a gateway with portcullis, a carved tree, and a motto. The north-east elevation features additional gables, and retains its original windows.

The interior features an original staircase with stick balusters and a newel post with ball finials, a large room with a Diocletian window, original tiling to dado height, and cast iron fireplaces.

This school is a well-designed and externally unaltered example of a 1905 secondary school in the Vernacular Revival style. It has good quality external details and internal fittings and, together with the adjoining former elementary school, forms a good and complete example of an Edwardian Board School.