Tir-y-berth County Primary School

Tir-y-berth County Primary School is a primary school built in the 18th century, arranged around a central quadrangle. It is a building of group value, recognised for its contribution to the wider historic landscape. The school consists of four single-storey classroom/hall wings linked by ancillary rooms, such as cloakrooms, a canteen, and storage areas, around a central courtyard playground. It is constructed of brown brick with ashlar dressings, raised brick quoins, and red brick to the rear. The roof is hipped and covered in Welsh slate; the front range features slightly swept bracketed eaves and a terracotta ridge that once supported a cupola/bellcote, now replaced by a weathervane.

The symmetrical front facade is dominated by a central hall range with a hipped roof, flanked by lower wings that terminate in cross gables. The windows are mostly generously sized, multipane sashes, with some featuring fixed upper glazing and lower opening casements, and all have stone sills. The central wing has a five-window range. Recessed on either side are the two entrances, each formed of two freestanding piers and two attached pilasters supporting a deep cornice bearing the inscription 'Gwell Dysg na Golud' ('Better Learning than Gold'). Moulded doorways with double six-panel doors are inscribed above 'Bechgyn' (Nursery) and 'Babanod' (Infants) and are flanked by eight/twelve pane sash windows. The projecting end wings have a pedimental design enclosing an oculus, an inscription band below, and a single window; the inscription on the left states 'Glamorgan County Council' and on the right 'Tir-y-berth Council School'. The school is fronted by a low rendered wall with piers and railings incorporating a decorative central motif.

The side elevations show the higher roof ridges of the classroom wings. At the rear left is the former kitchen, with a gable and a tall round-headed window with a deep hood cornice. Originally, classrooms opened directly onto the central yard, but a corridor was later inserted around three sides of the quadrangle. Otherwise, the classroom layout has remained virtually unaltered. The hall features a parquet floor, a tiled dado with a brown and green stripe, half-glazed doors, and boarded ceilings. Stairs lead to attic storage at each front corner.