High Bickington Voluntary Control School

HIGH BICKINGTON HIGH STREET, High Bickington SS 59 20 14/103 High Bickington Voluntary Control - School

GV II

Village school. Circa 1870, altered and enlarged probably in the late C19 or early C20. Snecked square stone with ashlar dressings, partly rendered to rear. Gable- ended C20 asbestos-slate roofs. Plan: Range aligned north-south, facing the end of the high street to the east and backing onto the churchyard of Saint Mary's (q.v.). One storey schoolroom range to right and gatehouse cross wing to left with gabled attic storey above. Gabled cross wing to rear of right-hand end. Late C19/early C20 corridor at rear of schoolroom range with catslide roof and a small extension to the rear of the gatehouse cross wing. Exterior: Asymmetrical front. Plinth, and parapeted gables with shaped kneelers, plain copings and finials. Three large gabled semi dormers to the schoolroom at the right, which each have a large chamfered stone cross window with trefoil-headed lights and a chamfered trefoiled circle in the apex above. Smaller right-hand dormer without quatrefoil and with window rebuilt in the late C20 (with concrete lintel etc.). Each dormer is flanked by stone chamfered mullioned 2-light windows (right- hand dormer with window to left only). Windows have probably C20 metal casements. Gabled gatehouse cross wing to the left has a first-floor stone chamfered mullioned 2-light window, chamfered arched niche above with dressed stone arch above and copper bell within, and shallow segmental-pointed archway below with dressed stone voussoirs. Two-storey outshut to left of gabled cross wing with small round-arched first-floor window to front. Rear of gatehouse has first-floor light chamfered mullioned stone window and shallow segmental-pointed archway below with dressed-stone voussoirs. Circa 1900 ground-floor extension has a segmental archway with a pair of large plank doors and a parapet above. Interior: Archway has a pair of C19 chamfered ceiling cross beams with ogee stops. Plank door to right with beaded wooden frame and wooden lintel, and pointed-arched doorway to left with stone arch and plank door. Rest of interior not inspected, except for the schoolroom where the C19 roof is ceiled. A plan of High Bickington Rectory dated 1600 shows the Church of Saint Mary (q.v.) and a range of buildings including a gatehouse in a similar location to the school. Although there is no evidence of any older fabric in the school it is possible that it stands on the site of an earlier building. Souces: Devon Record Office.

Listing NGR: SS5997020531