Parish Church Hall (Old Grammar School)

CREWKERNE

ST4309 ABBEY STREET 876-1/6/18 (South side) 12/06/50 Parish Church Hall (Old Grammar School)

GV II

Grammar School, now parish hall. 1636, much restored and extended 1830-1860. MATERIALS: coursed limestone rubble with Ham Hill stone plinth, porch, dressings, stepped stone coping and stacks and lower 3 courses to the left half of the slate roof. PLAN: rectangular plan with rear stair turret and right-hand C19 extension. EXTERIOR: the tall left half is single-storey; symmetrical 4-window range. The right half, of the same height, is 2 storeys including a half dormer; 2-window range. All the main windows to the front have labelmoulds; the gutters are supported by wrought-iron brackets. The left half, slightly longer than that to the right, has 4 tall 4-light stone mullioned and transomed leaded windows, probably C19, which break through the continuous string course which follows round the left return. Steps lead up both sides of the projecting gabled porch which has Tudor-arched openings to sides and front; it has a stone roof, moulded coping and obelisk finials to the kneelers and apex. Worn C19 carving in the gable end bears the date 1499. The right end has 4-light stone mullioned windows to the centre of both floors, that in the half dormer is below a slated gable with plain stone coping and a smaller finial than those to the right. To the left of this half, steps lead up to a Tudor-arched planked door directly under a 2-light window without a hoodmould; a similar one-light window is above, under the eaves. The rear of the left half has a 2-storey gable with similar details to the porch and C17 stone-mullioned windows; the rear of the right half is C20. INTERIOR: late C19 staircase and tongued and grooved panelling, C20 to the rest except for early C18 square raised and fielded dado panelling to the left end. This is higher than the floor, which has been lowered, and has much graffitti with dates in the early and mid C19. HISTORY: The Grammar School was founded in 1499 by John DeCombe, precentor of The Cathedral Church of Exeter. In 1577 trustees included "6 of the most discreetest men in town" and from the early C17 they gave the town financial support, lent money during the plague, gave to the poor, advanced cash to buy fire buckets and in 1626 contributed substantially when the bridewell was converted to a workhouse and a cage and a pillory installed. (Victoria County History: Somerset: Oxford: 1978-: P.8).

Listing NGR: ST4395309849