Former Stables And School Now The Design And Making Centre

Former Stables and School, now the Design and Making Centre

This building began as a stable constructed in 1809 by the Basset family of Tehidy, built at the rear of Trevenson Church with additional space serving as a vestry. Its use as a stable proved short-lived. By 1840, Lady Frances Bassett had established a school for boys on the site, as part of her wider educational work supporting at least twelve schools in the vicinity. The Bassets were a wealthy local family with substantial interests in the nearby metal mines and had been establishing and sponsoring schools since the 18th century. The school operated until 23 December 1896, when it closed and its pupils transferred to the nearby Mixed School in Church Road, Pool, following increased population and the demands created by the 1870 Education Act and subsequent legislation. The building now houses Cornwall County Council's Design and Making Centre.

The structure is constructed mainly of pink Tolgarrack stone with some granite rubble, roofed in slate with ridge tiles. It comprises an irregular plan of two interconnected, conjoined single-roomed structures with a porch. The two main rooms are stone-built, each with a separate modern hipped slate roof topped with ridge tiles. The front elevation is of dressed stone and features three large casement windows, a doorway with a window above, and two pitching eyes. A rendered porch with a modern pitched roof extends from the eastern end. The eastern side comprises crudely dressed and rubble Tolgarrack stone with three windows, one of which is blocked; the join between the two building components is clearly visible on this face. The western side is built from a mixture of Tolgarrack and granite rubble, with the north-western corner canted outwards at first storey level. Towards the rear is a small corrugated metal extension, and on the west a concrete block and wood structure.

The interior retains a range of original fittings, including most of the windows and roof trusses. Alterations include the addition of toilets and false ceiling within the porch, a replacement metal floor and stairs in the northern room, and a partition within the southern room. Considerable contemporary documentation relating to the school survives, including detailed Inspector's Reports, information on building alterations, and log book entries providing glimpses into daily school life.