St. Alban's R.C. School

St. Alban's R.C. School

This is a rendered and painted building, probably over stone, with ashlar likely of Bath limestone, Welsh slate and lead roofs. It comprises a large rectangular double-depth block with two major wings added at a later date.

The building has three major historic phases, followed by substantial additions, one of which was attached since the Second World War. Some alterations and repairs postdate the fire of 1990.

Original Block

The original block is two storeys with attics and is identifiable as the same building shown in prints from 1752 and 1793, when the entrance was on the east front. It displays the classic late 17th-century house shape with 3:3:3 windows, the centre set back between projecting wings with hipped roofs. All windows are sashes in architrave frames. Most are six over nine panes, except windows 2, 3, 7 and 9 (from the left) on the upper floor, which are six over six, and the three centre windows on the upper floor, which are nine over nine. The house probably did not have sash windows originally; in 1793 all windows appeared to be six over six, so the others are likely early 19th-century changes, probably associated with alterations by Capel Hanbury Leigh.

The main change of this period is a three-bay projecting ashlar extension in the centre of the ground floor, replacing the previous pedimented front door. This extension has six over six sashes in architrave surrounds within a frame of Doric pilasters, cornice and parapet. A timber cornice carries the gutter, and a lead-covered parapet tops the roof, which features five flat-topped dormers with slate cheeks and six over six sashes. No surviving chimneys remain.

East Front

The south front is also recognisable from the 1752 and 1793 prints and has eight windows arranged in pairs, all six over nine sashes in architrave frames. The whole front is in the same plane, but projecting in front of bays 3 and 4 is a four-column Tuscan portico with a balustraded parapet—an early 19th-century alteration that replaced the front door that had formerly been on the east front. Panelled double doors in an architrave surround also date from this period. The 1752 print suggests the staircase was originally in the centre of this front. The cornice, parapet and hipped roof match the main block, with four dormers of the same type.

West Wing

This wing is probably late 18th century and is said to date from 1752–65, though it does not appear in the 1752 print—it may be the tower shown in the 1793 print. It has two higher storeys and five windows; the three centre ones form a canted bay through both floors. All are six over nine sashes in architrave surrounds except the centre ground-floor window, which sits in a triple arched recess with an arched-headed top sash. A cill band runs across both floors. The cornice and parapet are typical of the period; the roof is not visible from this section.

Library Wing

Added in 1880 by John Hanbury Leigh, this wing has nine windows arranged 2:5:2, with four and six blind on the first floor. All are one over one plate glass sashes with architrave surrounds. The centre bay on the ground floor is a doorway. The wing has a hipped roof, and its end features an additional door and window on the ground floor.

Rear Courtyard

The courtyard partly derives from early to mid-19th-century changes. A kitchen wing backs onto the Library and is shown already in place on a plan of circa 1800. It has five eight over eight sashes with hoods on brackets and a nine over nine sash in the end wall, beneath a hipped roof. A north-side wing is similar but has three storeys in part. The staircase in the original block has its own hipped roof and a very large and unusual window, probably of 1827–29, tripartite with 42 panes, beneath which is a single-storey projection. A small additional block from the 1840s, perhaps a dairy and game larder, is attached to the south-west wing and features a window with cast iron lozenge glazing and hood mould.

Interior

The interior contains features from the various building periods, though much of the original block, particularly following the 1990 fire, is modern reproduction. The building has been in convent and school use since 1915, resulting in numerous modern changes and decorative schemes.

The staircase retains partly early 18th-century elements including panelled walls, wrought iron balustrade, mahogany handrail, panelled soffit, and arcaded hall above and below; however, substantial 19th-century changes are evident, and the arcade has been partly closed in post-fire repairs. A large window features mid-19th-century stained glass bearing the Hanbury arms, dated to 1827–29.

The Drawing Room occupies the middle of the east front and was formerly the entrance hall. It projects into the 1827–29 addition under a beam supported by two porphyry Ionic columns, with panelled walls and shutters. The Morning Room is in the south-east corner. The Dining Room sits in the bay and features a Rococo-style plaster ceiling, partly Victorian, with a frieze of rams' heads and vine leaves (some elements possibly dating from 1752–65). A marble fireplace, said to have been given to Major John Hanbury by Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, is located here, though this room was not part of Major Hanbury's original house. The ceiling has been reinforced in an out-of-character manner with heavy steel joists. The Library has a ceiling rose and an unusual filigree frieze, seemingly also functioning as a ventilator. Other rooms include a fireplace with an elaborate Baroque overmantel; many rooms, particularly on upper floors, are now fully utilitarian.