Felbridge County Primary School

TQ 33 NE 12/277

FELBRIDGE CRAWLEY DOWN ROAD Felbridge County Primary School

II

School. 1783, founded by James Evelyn; extended in 1934. Flemish bond red brick with some burnt headers on ground floor and tile-hung timber frame first floor. Plain tile roof with gabled and half-hipped ends. Brick axial stack.

3-room lobby entrance plan; the former kitchen at centre and small teacher's parlour on right heated from back-to-back fireplaces in axial stack which forms entrance lobby at front. The left hand room was the classroom (now kitchen). 3 rooms on first floor. The C20 stair wing at back probably replaces the original stair outshut and dates from circa 1934 when a large extension was built on left (west).

2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3-window south east front. Ground floor cambered arch window openings. 2 3-light leaded-pane casements on left and 12-pane sash on right. 3 small 2-light casements on first floor. Doorway to right of centre with C20 panelled and glazed door and C20 hipped roof open porch. Depressed 2-centred arch window on right hand (north east) end with 2-light casements with Y-bars and leaded panes. Short hipped roof wing at rear. Large 1934 extension attached on left extending to rear.

Interior: Ground floor central room (original kitchen) has chamfered cross-beam without stops and large brick fireplace with big unchamfered timber lintel. Small right hand room (parlour) has C20 brick fireplace. First floor has roughly chamfered cross-beams with run-out stops and exposed wall-plate. C20 staircase and C20 roof structure.

Note: In 1783 James Evelyn (descendant of John Evelyn, the Diarist) "chose a large house at Hedgecourt Common - arranging for 1½ acres around it to be enclosed and used as a school". The school opened on 4 November 1783 and was for 8 boys and 4 girls.

Sources: G Williams, The Village School (1983). Report by P J Gray.

Listing NGR: TQ3683439667