Former Legat's School of Ballet

FORMER LEGAT'S SCHOOL OF BALLET, CATT'S HILL

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1027966
Date first listed:
01-Feb-1991
List Entry Name:
Former Legat's School of Ballet
Statutory Address:
FORMER LEGAT'S SCHOOL OF BALLET, CATT'S HILL

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Date:
2005-07-20
Reference:
IOE01/11303/21
Rights:
© Mr David Evans. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1027966
Date first listed:
01-Feb-1991
List Entry Name:
Former Legat's School of Ballet
Statutory Address 1:
FORMER LEGAT'S SCHOOL OF BALLET, CATT'S HILL

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
FORMER LEGAT'S SCHOOL OF BALLET, CATT'S HILL

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
East Sussex
District:
Wealden (District Authority)
Parish:
Rotherfield
National Grid Reference:
TQ5770930760

Details

TQ 53 SE
14/1005


ROTHERFIELD
CATT'S HILL
Former Legat's School of Ballet

GV
II

Former orphanage, later girls school, derelict at time of survey. 1865-8 by
Edward Welby Pugin as a girls orphanage. Gothic style. Built of red brick in Flemish bond with stone dressings, polychromatic black headers and slate roof with ribbed brick chimneystacks. 3 storeys and attics: 19 windows. Comprises central gabled feature, recessed wings and end gables. Central projecting gable has elaborate saddlestone and 2nd floor 4 light window with typanum depicting Christ with mothers and children. Quatrefoil transomes. Larger and elaborate lst floor window 4-light with central sculpture of St George slaying the dragon. Tefoliated window heads with quatrefoil motifs above and to balustrading and aprons. Arched doorcase to ground floor with dying mouldings and female masks. Double doors with chamfered panels. Recessed wings on each side of 7 bays. Mansard roofs with some bands of fishscale tiles, corbelled eaves and diamond motifs in black headers. 7 narrow gabled dormers with finials. 1st floor has 7 arched windows with mullions and transomes, trefoil heads and cinquefoil lights. Ground floor has 14 Caernarvon arched windows. End gables have saddlestones. 2nd floor 3-light mullioned and transomed casement with cinquefoil above. 1st floor has 2 trefoil windows and ground floor has 4 Caernarvon arched windows. Buttresses to left is a further 2 storey portion with 4 paired Caernarvon arched windows to 1st floor and to ground floor triple arched windows with quatrefoils. Plinth. Return elevation to right has 6 gabled dormers,6 Caernarvon arched sashes to 1st floor and 5 cambered windows to ground floor and the 1 storey service wing has 6 windows, mainly sashes but including 2 double Caernarvon arched windows. Rear elevation has 14 dormers. Cambered windows to ground and 1st floors. Central gable has transomed window to 2nd floor with trefoliated head and 3 light mullioned and transomed window to 1st floor. Right side gable has rose window. This was built as a pair with the boys orphanage of the same date; now Mayfield College and the convent of the Holy Child Jesus at Mayfield.
It was originally built for about 120 girls and lodging for a community of religious women in charge. Up until c1924 the Society of the Holy Child Jesus was in charge.(see Builder 17 June 1865 p440, Builder 28 July 1866 p559 and Plates pp560-1: Building News 28 July 1865 p540; 11 May 1866 p309 and plates.

Listing NGR: TQ5770930760

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
297129
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Building News in 11 May, (1866), 309
The Builder in 17 June, (1865), 440
Building News in 28 July, (1865), 540
The Builder in 28 July, (1866), 559

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Former Legat's School of Ballet

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 16-Jun-2026 at 16:27:45.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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