The British School
THE BRITISH SCHOOL, 153-155, SOUTHAMPTON 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:
- 1380226
- Date first listed:
- 12-Apr-2000
- List Entry Name:
- The British School
- Statutory Address:
- THE BRITISH SCHOOL, 153-155, SOUTHAMPTON STREET
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1380226
- Date first listed:
- 12-Apr-2000
- List Entry Name:
- The British School
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE BRITISH SCHOOL, 153-155, SOUTHAMPTON 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:
- THE BRITISH SCHOOL, 153-155, SOUTHAMPTON STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Reading (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SU 71856 72625
Details
SU7172NE SOUTHAMPTON STREET 934/4/10027 Reading 12-APR-00 153-155 The British School
II
School, later industrial premises, part now Youth Club and part unoccupied and in a state of disrepair (September 1999). 1810 by R Billing, senior; rear addition 1817-18; altered and extended later C19. Of red brick with Welsh slate roofs. Four separate elements, of two or three storeys, and all of different heights. 1. The original 2-storey 1810 section is the lowest, built of red brick in Flemish bond, and having (on its north side): an inserted door; a small window on right with header-brick arch and clerestory. 2. The 1817-18 section added to rear (east) of original part: 3 storeys, the upper storey an addition.; 4 bays. On ground floor, blocked and inserted openings, including a wide segmented-arched door on right. Upper floors have wide segmented-arched windows with stepped chamfered sills and small-pane glazing. Graffiti in the earlier brickwork includes the dates '1874', '1877' and '1878'. 3. Mid-late C19 addition at road (west) end and facing road is of finely-pointed red brick in Flemish bond with yellow-brick pilasters defining bays and gable. Round-arched openings with stone and polychromatic-brick dressings: corbelled sills, pilasters with capitals; voussoirs; keystones; and arches. Central bay has paired windows to each floor one of those on ground floor made into a door, and decorative lozenges. Outer bays have decorative panel instead of window to upper floor. Left return has windows of 2 lights and one light to ground floor and one of 3 lights with chamfered brick sill above. 4. Mid-late C19 addition at east (rear) end set at right angles, is of 2 storeys with loft. North side has 3 bricked-up lunettes to ground floor, one now a window; inserted fire-escape door on 1st floor; and small pane loft window. Rear elevation has paired, wide, segmental arched openings with doors and small pane metal windows. Four large segmental arched windows with similar glazing and stone sills above. Stepped eaves. Raised verges. Interior: 1810 section1810 section: board-lined walls and some boarded partitions; braced wooden queen-post roof trusses; later stair up to the first floor of the added front block. 1817-18 section: metal column supporting a large-scantling cross-beam on the ground floor; roof trusses as in 1810 section (probably re-used when roof raised). Piping from former gas lighting throughout. The school was established by committee in 1809, at first in temporary accommodation, and subsequently in the purpose-built school on Southampton Street. Initially there were male pupils only, the 1817-18 addition being built to provide accommodation for girls. The school was run in accordance with the recommendations of Joseph Lancaster, a leader in educational reform in the late C18 and early C19, and it is believed to be the oldest surviving such school in Britain.
Listing NGR: SU7185672625
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 479953
- Legacy System:
- LBS
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 17-Jun-2026 at 18:52:55.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.