Gymnasium Immediately South Of Foxhole School

DARTINGTON 5X7862-5X7962 DARTINGTON HALL 12/135 Gymnasium immediately S of Foxhole School

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Gymnasium. 1933-34 by W E Lescaze of Howe and Lescaze of America. Built by Staverton Builders for Dartington School. Rendered brick walls to steel or concrete frame, concrete coping to parapets concealing flat roof. Plan: Rectangular plan. Large gymnasium hall with a gallery at the north end reached by a rectangular tower on the north west corner which rises above the roof level to give access to the roof which was intended for outdoor recreation. Under the gallery a stone, locker room, lavatories and showers. On the east side a lower block was the exercise room and the staff room is by the north east entrance International Modern style. Exterior: On both east and west long sides there are 6 rectangular high level windows with steel frames with large panes. On the right of each side double doors, the east doors have circular lights and a porch with a reinforced concrete canopy supported on a thin steel part and rendered side wall. The south end the blank by 2 louvred ventilators. On the north west corner the rectangular stair turret interlocks with the main block and rises above its roof level with a doorway to the roof; there is also external doorway at the base of the tower and 2 windows above. The gymnasium was originally freestanding but is now attached to Foxhole School building by a Post-war 2-storey building on the north side and a single storey building on the east side. Interior: The walls are whitewashed brick. The floor is hardwood boards. The gallery at the north end is jettied into the gymnasium and faced in plywood with wire grille viewing windows. There are plywood double doors, one with round viewing windows. The flat roof is supported on 5 transverse RSJs on concrete piers between the high-=level windows. Below each window is a heating radiator high on the wall. The gymnasium equipment includes wooden wall bars on each side, exercise bars that can be adjusted to various levels by pulley mechanisms and climbing ropes that can be similarly drawn out across the gymnasium.

Listing NGR: SX7908062238