Flaxton Old School

Flaxton Old School is a former Church of England primary school dating to 1867, built by Thomas Abbey of Claxton.

MATERIALS: the building is of mottled red brick, with some later red brick, with raised quoins and some window dressings in pale yellow brick. The roofs are blue slate, those facing the front with fish-scale patterning. The brick outbuilding has a pantile roof.

PLAN: the school is positioned centrally on the main village street. The building comprises an open hall, with a porch to the left (north-west) and another to the rear (north-east). A small outbuilding positioned against the rear (north-east) boundary is not of special interest.

EXTERIOR: the building is single storey with a pitched roof and overhanging eaves. There is a brick plinth round three sides of the building, a single tall chimney stack to the centre rear, and side and rear porches. All the main windows are lancet arched with cusped top lights and a mixture of casement and pivoted openings. To the front (south-west) there are three pairs of windows with raised brick dressings, and the main entrance is in the porch to the left. The solid wooden door has a pointed segmental arch set in a rubbed brick architrave. Central to the main roof is a timber dormer carrying a clock face, surmounted by a small cupola and weather vane. The north-west side wall above the porch has a stone plaque inset, stating that the money to build the school was raised by the Rector, Rev. James Griffith, and Parishioners. The rear elevation has a central porch with a side entrance door, and two paired windows. The side porch has a blocked opening to the rear.

INTERIOR: the side porch opens to the main room to the right through a plank door. The hall is open to the roof structure and is boarded with two timber trusses. The walls are wainscotted and there is an inset blackboard at the far end. The later rear porch opens from the rear wall. At the centre front of the ceiling is a hatch providing access to the clock, and at the front corners are the weights and chains for the clock winding gear, contained in boxed conduits. The outbuilding contains two toilets at the southern end and storage at the other.