School The Grove Building

ST 8032-8132 MERE CHURCH STREET (North)

6/31 School: The Grove Building

GV II

School. Dated 1899. Squared and coursed limestone with hard red brick dressings, plain tile roof. An L-plan building returning to Barton Lane. Facing church the front is one storey with attic at left end, three flemish gables, that to left wider and with semi-circular termination; 1+5 windows. Left has largeoculus with glazing bars ingable above a recessed door with some glazing, and two small 2-light casements all in a brick panel and with segmental heads. A brick buttress in one offset, then alternately 2-light casements with transome and lofty 2-light casements with 2 transomes to segmental heads in face gables; all with glazing bars to small square panes. A further brick buttress extreme right. Brick or Terra-cotta dressings including cill band and decorative tops to gables. Broad sweep of roof, panelled brick stack far left. Return, to Barton Lane has high gable to pointed crown, with 2 large 2-light, 2-transome windows as front; then long wing with panelled door and fanlight in arched opening, 3-small vertical casement and a 2-light with transome. Then a wing with two gables with concave swept cappings, windows at front and a large stack flush with the eaves. A lead covered pyramidal ventilator near junction with front block. Interior seems much as built, including a glazed brick dado; roof -trusses now ceiled at tie level. A vigorous and assured building, very characteristic of the turn of the century; built at the expense of Miss Julia Chafyn Grove at a cost of £2,400+ the left-hand gable in Barton Lane, includes a square panel with inscription 'The Grove Buildings; 1899'. Replaced or augmented the adjacent National School (q.v.).

Listing NGR: ST8113032317