Woburn Lower School
WOBURN LOWER SCHOOL, BEDFORD STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1321694
- Date first listed:
- 22-Oct-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Woburn Lower School
- Statutory Address:
- WOBURN LOWER SCHOOL, BEDFORD STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-04-19
- Reference:
- IOE01/10697/28
- Rights:
- © Dr W A Cooper. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1321694
- Date first listed:
- 22-Oct-1952
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 16-Mar-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Woburn Lower School
- Statutory Address 1:
- WOBURN LOWER SCHOOL, BEDFORD STREET
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.
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- WOBURN LOWER SCHOOL, BEDFORD STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Central Bedfordshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Woburn
- National Grid Reference:
- SP 94867 33271
Details
SP 9433-9533 WOBURN BEDFORD STREET 8/99 22.10.52 Woburn Lower School (formerly listed as The old Infants School) GV II School. Free School Charity founded and school built 1582, by Francis Earl of Bedford. Reworked c.1830 by Edward Blore. Some late C19 reworking. Coursed ironstone with ashlar dressings. Clay tile roof. Substantial rectangular structure, formerly of 2 storeys and attics. First floor removed. S elevation: ground and first floors each have 2 4-light stone-mullioned windows. Attic has 4 gabled dormers (reworkings by Blore) with 2-light mullioned windows. These have moulded surrounds with drop finials, their gables with moulded bargeboards and finials. All windows have leaded lights. To RH is late C19 gabled porch with 4-centred-arched doorway surmounted by carved panel showing Bedford crest. To centre is late C19 integral chimney stack surmounted by pair of octagonal red brick shafts with moulded bases and caps. This replaces central mullioned window to ground and first floors, similar to outer ones. Original gable end and ridge stacks removed. Moulded stone coping to both gables and to porch. W gable end: first floor has 2 3- light mullioned windows, attic has small blocked 2-light mullioned window. E gable end: first floor has 3-light mullioned window, attic has blocked 2- light mullioned window. Adjoining to-ground floor and projecting to road is small gabled block by Blore. Possibly built as a bier house serving the Church, used as a fire station late 1860's to late 1930's, later became part of school. Road frontage has central gable containing 4-centred arch with double doors, surmounted by image in niche flanked by 2 panels containing shields. Flanking this are 2 short stretches of ironstone wall with ashlar dressings. LH part contains one plank door in moulded square-headed surround, and terminates in a pier with cusped recessed panel, moulded cornice and pyramidal cap. RH part contains similar doorway and a later one to RH. Interior: N wall has 2 late doorways at ends, above which are 2 early fireplaces with moulded 4-centred-arched heads. J D Parry, History and Description of Woburn and its Abbey, 1831; Bedfordshire Record Office: CRT 130 Woburn 8, notes on the Free School Charity 1582 - 1875; CRT 130 Woburn 12, an Account of Woburn Free School and later schools.
Listing NGR: SP9486233246
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 38202
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Parry, J D, History and Description of Woburn and its Abbey, (1831)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 01-Jul-2026 at 05:49:28.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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