West Buckland School

EAST AND WEST BUCKLAND SS 63 SE 3/69 West Buckland School -

• II

School. 1860-1 by R D Gould, enlarged to rear 1863 and 1871, range to west completed 1876, eastern range added 1933. Stone rubble with brick and ashlar dressings. Later additions chiefly brick. Slate roofs. 1860-1 range consists of 2½ storey centre block of 5 bays with 1½ storey lateral wings also of 5 bays. The right-hand (east) wing was rebuilt at the time of the addition of the eastern range after a fire in 1930. The 3-storey dormitory block at the left (west) end was added in 1876, the whole forming a rear courtyard plan. Centre block of 2½ storeys of 5 bays, the central bay rising to 3 storeys formerly with bell turret but now reduced to a pyramidal roof. 2 gabled half-dormers to each side with trefoil headed lights. Dated rainwater heads flanking central bay. 2- light mullions, those to ground floor have alternating brick and stone voussoirs and shoulder headed lights. Segmental arched central doorway with shouldered architrave to double plank doors, sidelights and stepped overlight. Pointed arched hoodmould to window over incorporating sheaf motif with motto 'Read and Reap'. Each wing has shouldered doorway to rear quadrangle with porch and leanto slate roof in the angle with the projecting central block. Left-hand (west) wing has full dormers to attic storey, 2-light mullions to each full storey, those to ground floor with pointed relieving arches of alternating brick and stone voussoirs. Right-hand (east) wing refenestrated after fire. Large oriel window to front gable end of 1933 range to right. 3 storey gabled dormitory cross-wing at left end with tower block in angle with broached corner and pyramidal roof. Stone brackets to eaves. Porch in angle with 2-centred arch. Tall buttresses to gable end with offsets flanked by stone mullion windows, 3 lights to ground floor, 2 lights above. Stepped vent to gable, the centre light cusped-headed. The school was founded in 1858 at South Stoodleigh (q.v.) by J L Brereton for the education of the middle classes, so bridging a gap in the education system which Brereton identified in his book County Education (1874). See Jon Edmunds A History of West Buckland School (1983).

Listing NGR: SS6677931535