Merchant Taylors School

Details

TQ 09 SE
9/220

RICKMANSWORTH
SANDY LODGE LANE
(North side)
Moor Park
Merchant Taylors School

GV
II

Large group of school buildings. 1931-3 by W.G. Newton for the Merchant
Taylors' Company. 2" red brick with stone dressings. Tiled and pantiled
hipped roofs. Neo-Georgian/Swedish Modern Style. Gatehouse with quadrant
walls to Great Hall, linked to sides are Headmaster's House and Dining
Block, extending to rear 2 arms diverge as if to reflect scissors on plan
with classroom blocks, chapel and a clock tower at far end. All 2
storeys. Gatehouse has curved and angled walls as a segment of a
circle. Stone architraved segmental headed entrance in a relieving arch.
Timber doors with wrought iron dates, 1561, 1875 and 1933. Brick plinth
and quoining. Parapet with banded brick rustication and central stone
plaque from old school founded 1561. Low side rooms with round headed
windows in relieving arches. To rear a round arched opening with a stone
sill and iron work. Segmental vault inside with patterned brick and
stone paving. Low quadrant walls link gatehouse to Great Hall. 1:7:1.
Flint and brick paving before 7 ground floor round arches with brick key
blocks to half glazed recesses with decorative ironwork. Outer porches
with segmental heads to stone architraved entrances. Lozenge glazed
windows. 7 tall first floor windows in stone architraves, patterned
glazing. Urns rest on sills with relief panels of athletic figures over
lintels. Above entrance porches are empty niches, gauged brick with
stone sills. Lead rainwater pipes. Continuous stone cornice with stone
spouts between bays in stone coped parapet. 4 dormers. Brick quoined
rebated corners to returns of 3 bays. Left return: ground floor
foundation stone beneath a decoratively glazed ribbon window. Flanking
entrances all under a projecting hood holding a balcony with 3 segmental
projections to first floor tall central round headed window in a
patterned brick surround, flanking strip lights. On shallow gable an owl
acroterion. Right return is similar. Inner elevation of Hall is 1:7:1
with arms extending from outer bays. Projecting forward on ground floor
is a cloistered walk. 7 round arches with stone keys and relief panels
to coped parapet. First floor windows as to front with relief panels
over lintels depicting attributes of branches of knowledge. 3 square
openings beneath centre and alternate bays with quoined surrounds and
stone keys. 9 bay 1 storey link to left of Hall to Headmaster's House. H
on plan. 2 storeys and attic. Facing hall 5 bays with slightly
projecting cross wings. Central entrance with stone architrave and
cornice. First floor tripartite windows. Outer glazing bar sashes.
Extruded stacks on wings. 6 bay returns. Outer elevation has central 2
storey aedicule, keyed ground floor architrave, 2 recessed columns to
first floor with pediment. Brick rustication. Outer projecting wings. 12
bay 2 storey administration block to right of hall links to Dining Hall.
2 storeys and attic. 10 bays. Projecting ground floor on long sides with
round headed windows, coved hoods to entrances, 3 dormers. Short end has
tall round headed stained glass window. From rear of Great Hall
diverging arms each comprise central projecting, squarish 5 bay blocks,
that to left library/exam hall, 3 long bays with short intermediate and
slightly projecting bays, horizontal windows and brick rustication
towards hall, similar 5 bay ranges away from hall. Library/exam hall
has flat arched heads to ground floor windows with brick rustication.
Stone course below tall first floor windows with stone key blocks. 2
hipped dormers. Opposing block similar, ground floor has round arched
windows with a stone impost band, inner bays with relieving arches,
outer bays open to recessed entrances. Flat roof. Courtyard has
patterned brick paving between these blocks. At far end a 1 storey
range links these arms. 2:3:2. 3 open round arches with a slightly
tapering central tower with octagonal clocks, herringbone and other
brick patterning, weathervane, flanking hipped dormers. To left is
chapel with reconstructed stone mullion and transom 6 light windows.
Outer elevation of this range has 3 central arches set back with
raking buttresses to tower. Mutuled timber eaves continue on flanking
3 bay blocks. Outer 2 storey 7 bay classroom blocks have central full
height canted bays, open to ground floor entrances. Outer elevation
of library-/exam block: ground floor French windows with decorative
ironwork. First floor round headed windows with iron balconettes,
stone impost band. Relief panels of famous figures. Outer elevation
of opposing block: ground floor round headed windows in relieving
arches, tripartite horizontal first floor windows, flanking entrance
bays. Interior: loosely Corinthian columniation to 3 bay entrance
lobby to Great Hall with pre-cast concrete coffered ceiling,
decorative wrought iron and brass. Concrete piers and ribs in aisled
Dining Hall. (Pevsner 1977).

Listing NGR: TQ0920994053

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

158864

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977)

End of official list entry

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