Primary School And Part Of Presbytery

EGTON EGTON BRIDGE NZ8005-8105 16/14 Primary School and 6.10.69 part of Presbytery - II Roman Catholic chapel, Presbytery and school; now County Primary School and part of later Presbytery. c.1790; altered c.1865; further C20 alteration and extension. Herringbone-tooled sandstone; stone slate roof with stone copings and kneelers. Extensions in dressed and re-used sandstone. Original building rectangular with Presbytery at rear; later extensions to front, rear and left side. 2-storey, 1-window gable end with 1-storey lean-to extension in front. C20 door in extension. Large mullioned and transomed window beneath tooled lintel above extension. Canopied niche containing painted statue in gable apex. Semicircular tablet beneath canopy inscribed: ERECTED BY THE GUILD 18 90 OF ST HILDA Square bellcote, with shallow ogee cap and stone cross above; block kneelers. Rear: 2-storey, 1-window outbuilding behind 1-storey, lean-to extension. Outbuilding has 4-pane sash with stone sill and herringbone- tooled lintel on ground floor. 24-pane first floor window with small central sash, stone sill and tooled lintel. Left return: largely obscured by later building, but five round-arched openings, four blocked, are visible. Centre opening altered to doorway with divided overlight. Right return: five original full-height round-arched windows with tooled sills, small-pane glazing and Gothick-glazed heads. Interior. Within front extension, original 6-panel door with two glazed lights. An historically interesting building as a very early example of a purpose-built Catholic chapel and school following the passage of the first Catholic Relief Act in 1778. Egton had long been a centre of Catholicism in the North-East, and in 1743 a chapel existed beside Bridge House occupied by the recusant Smith family, and adjacent to the present church and school. In 1780 there were 415 Catholics in the district. In 1867 the chapel was replaced by a new church and thereafter functioned solely as a school. Outbuilding to rear of school, now part of C19 Presbtytery, was the original presby- tery. Included for historic interest. Hugh Aveling, Northern Catholics.

Listing NGR: NZ8040605306