St Bees School Buildings Around Quadrangle To South West

St Bees School is a public school founded in 1587 by Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury. The school buildings form three sides of a quadrangle. The north range dates from the 16th century, with additions made around 1820, while the other ranges were built in 1842. The north range is likely the first school building, constructed from materials salvaged from the Abbots' house. It features sandstone blocks on a chamfered plinth and has a graduated slate roof with stone copings and kneelers, along with a corniced stone octagonal end chimney. Originally two storeys high, a third storey was added when the roof was replaced around 1820. The façade has nine bays, with seven three-light and one (possibly 20th century) two-light mullioned windows, all with glazing bars in architraves and under a continuous hoodmould on the ground floor. The sixth bay from the left is now blank, possibly indicating the location of an original door. There are four similar windows on each floor above, with hoodmoulds featuring labels on the first floor.

The 1842 ranges are constructed of ashlar stone on a plinth, with graduated slate roofs and stone copings and blocking courses. They feature symmetrical five-bay designs, with a central castellated four-stage clock tower above a four-centred entrance arch, which has octagonal corner turrets. There are two two-storey bays on either side, with an 'aisle' on the ground floor. The two-storey, six-bay south range has a window over the 'aisle' to the left of a four-centred door, flanked by octagonal turrets, and three bays to the right. All windows are paired sashes with glazing bars in architraves, and all windows (except those in the aisles) and doors have hoodmoulds with labels.