Former Bowling Green Lane Board School

Details

ISLINGTON

TQ3182SW BOWLING GREEN LANE 635-1/73/89 (South side) 14/05/91 No.10 former Bowling Green Lane Board School

GV II

Formerly known as: No.10 Hugh Myddelton Junior School BOWLING GREEN LANE Finsbury. Former London Board School, now photographers' studios. Dated 1874. Architects Department of the London School Board (E R Robson) probably in collaboration with J J Stevenson. Beige/brown stock brick set in English bond with finely cut red brick, rubbed red brick (including quoins), and stone dressings; Welsh-slate intersecting gabled roofs with ridge tiles; tall, prominent moulded-brick stacks to ends, rear and to various intersecting bays. Queen Anne Style. Modified H block-plan with the longer wings parallel to Bowling Green Lane: symmetrical gabled front with centre bay set in brick recess; picturesque, irregular sides with projecting bays; discreet C20 rear extension. Two storeys with attic (fine hipped roof dormers to ends of front block); gabled front to Bowling Green Lane elevation of 7-window range. Separate Girls' and Boys' entrances in attached walls flanking main front block: direct access to building via respective Boys' and Girls' entrances surmounted by stone panels to rear elevation of main block; additional entrances to ends of main block with elaborate brick dressings and discreet C20 doors. Windows with red gauged-brick (segmental, flat or camber-arched) heads, stone sills and keystones; multi-paned wooden white-painted windows of varying widths including sashes, casements and fixed glazing; the tall ones lit the big classrooms. Elaborate red brick and stone storey bands throughout. Ground-floor front elevation with (possibly but carefully altered) cambered sash to centre partially set in brick recess and flanked by 3 segmental arched sashes set in round-arched brick recesses. 1st floor irregular: pedimented gables to intermediate bays with paired flat-arched casement sashes set in arched recess with Free-Classical detailing including flanking brick pilasters, stone panels below sills reading 'Bowling Green Lane School 1874' and brick coping. Other sashes with cambered heads except prominent centre sash which is segmental, flanked by brick pilasters supporting pediment, set in brick recess, and placed out of line with other fenestration by dropping through storey band. Most details on side and rear elevations in similar, plainer and freer manner than Bowling Green Lane front. INTERIOR: minor alterations only. Former Boy's and Girls' Schools approached by 2 separate rear entrances and staircases. Boys' and Girls' separate school rooms to either side provided with end lighting. Rooms on both floors well-preserved and airy, particularly the tall ground-floor front halls, with fine arched ceiling and large unaltered white-painted windows. There are playgrounds to rear and sides. This is one example of the very exclusive group of surviving London Board schools from E R Robson's famous early period when he actually did the designing, and possibly one where he was helped by the influential and talented private architect J J Stevenson. (Historians File, English Heritage, London Division: 1991-; Saint, A J (Historians Group): London Board Schools Report--London Division English Heritage: 1991-).

Listing NGR: TQ3140882325

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

368580

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Other
Saint, AJ, London Board Schools Report, (1991)

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