The Old Grammar School (Now The School Library)

The Old Grammar School, now the School Library, is a grammar school building dated 1716, located on Back Lane in Sedbergh. It was altered in the 19th century and internally remodelled in 1957-8 by Sir Albert Richardson. The structure is built of random rubble with lacing courses, featuring freestone quoins and dressings, and has a stone slate roof. It has a rectangular plan oriented east-west, with the original entrance located in the west gable end.

The building is two storeys high. The gabled west front has raised rusticated quoins, a plain string-course at the first floor level, and a band over the upper floor. It features gable copings with kneelers and a corniced gable chimney. The round-headed doorway, now blocked internally, has pilaster jambs, moulded imposts, and a moulded head with a keystone. The double doors each have two bolection-moulded panels and are topped by a fanlight with radiating glazing bars. The doorway is framed by a pilastered architrave with entablatures inscribed "17" on the left and "16" on the right, a triglyph frieze, and a segmental pediment. Above, there is a rectangular wall tablet with a moulded surround and cornice, which contains a carved shield.

The north and south side walls each have seven very regular round-headed windows on both floors, with the lower windows being much taller than the upper ones. All windows have raised sills and pilastered architraves with imposts and keystones, and feature renewed wooden mullions and transoms with small-paned leaded glazing. Both sides have moulded gutters supported by curved metal brackets, and the south side includes one rainwater head positioned between the fourth and fifth windows. The east gable end mirrors the west end with its gable copings and chimney, and it also features an ex situ 17th-century doorway and door.

Inside, the ground floor has been remodelled with a lowered ceiling and the insertion of galleries. A restored dog-legged staircase at the east end features a closed string, square newels with ball finials, turned balusters, and a moulded handrail.