School House

School House, possibly the site of an earlier church house, was constructed in the mid-17th century, although parts may be older. It was modernised around 1960. The house is built with plastered cob on stone rubble footings, with stone rubble stacks topped with 19th and 20th-century brick, and has a thatched roof. Originally a three-room plan house facing east and backing onto the churchyard, the internal structure is now largely obscured by 20th-century plaster, making its historical development difficult to determine. A large projecting stack on the north side is late 17th century, while the other two stacks are likely late 19th or 20th century. A 20th-century staircase sits between the centre and left rooms. The exterior presents a balanced, four-window front with 20th-century casement windows with glazing bars. Two front doorways have 20th-century part-glazed doors, the left-of-centre entrance being protected by a 20th-century gabled porch. The roof is hipped at each end. Some rear windows retain old oak frames, possibly dating back to the late 17th century. The north stack features weathered offsets protected by large slates. The interior has undergone extensive late 19th and 20th-century modernisation. The only visible feature is the large kitchen fireplace in the north room, constructed of late 17th-century local brick with a deeply chamfered oak lintel. Structural carpentry is concealed by plaster, and the roof is inaccessible. Care should be taken during any future work to avoid disturbing any potential 17th-century or earlier features. The house’s location suggests it may be the site of the original church house; it was used as a village school until 1868 and was later converted to almshouses and then a schoolmistress’s house in the 1890s. School House contributes to a group of attractive listed buildings around the Church of St Andrew.