The Old School House

SW 93 NW VERYAN VERYAN

8/145 The Old School House

30-5-67 GV II

School for girls, now private house. Circa 1820, build by Hugh Rowe, a Lostwithiel builder, for Reverend Jeremiah Trist. Slatestone rubble walls, polygonal hipped water reed thatched roof with chimney over one end of ridge. Conceived as a farmhouse plan but built with a large room to Madras plan sometimes known as Dr Bell's system. Originally single storey, but attic converted 1884. North front overlooking village centre is symmetrical with 3 ground floor windows in depressed and central arched openings, once with shutters - see old photograph, and original glazing pattern of timber 'Y' tracery in the heads with pairs of opening casements with 6 panes each below. The centre window is in a round sided and wide projecting bay which has late doorways piercing its flanks. The original arched entrance is at the rear. The roof overhangs the front of the house deeply forming a verandah supported on 2 granite columns of broadly Tuscan type with capitals and bases. A very large C20 bay window has been cut into the roof where 2 tall dormers of 1884 existed. Interior retains part of original plan layout. Hugh Rowe was also the builder of Veryan's 5 round houses. Information from an article by G W Hawkridge in The Illustrated Carpenter and Builder, September 30, 1960.

Listing NGR: SW9155639467