Finsbury Road Board School

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 08/03/2013


TQ3204NW
577-1/35/281
31/03/99


BRIGHTON
FINSBURY ROAD
(North West side)
Finsbury Road Board School


II


Board school. 1881. Thomas Simpson. Brown and red
brick in English garden wall bond; dressings and ornament in
soft red brick and concrete. Roof of slate turnerised; cupola
of wood with a metal roof.
STYLE: Arts and Crafts Free style.
EXTERIOR: the building is divided into 2 distinct sections
corresponding to the infants' and upper schools. The latter,
to the right, is the larger of the 2: 2 storeys over basement;
a 2-and-a-half-storey cross-wing at either end, forming a
roughly symmetrical composition. 10-window range. The infants'
school has one storey over a basement with a
2-and-a-half-storey cross-wing to the left. 11-window range to
ground floor.
The most prominent features of the upper school elevation are
the gabled cross-wings which project slightly. Each has
floor-to-ceiling windows on the ground and first floors, the
window dressings are variously cut, scrolled and keyed; above
the first-floor windows is a gabled aedicule formed from
bricks of contrasting colours; all the tympana are ornamented
with terracotta panels. The first-floor windows in fifth- and
8-window ranges are of similar dimensions to the high windows
in the cross-wings and each finishes in hipped dormer. Brick
dentil cornice to all sections. Stack to inner corner of each
cross-wing roof, which is hipped. The cupola is centred
between the cross-wings on the roof ridge: square in plan, its
first stage is lead sheathed and the second is timber-framed;
the roof has a leaded ogee cap. There remain in good condition
to all the roofs, the original ornamental ridge tiles and
ventilators; the hipped dormers have metal finials.
The infants' school to the left is asymmetrically massed. The
gabled cross-wing to the south has tall windows framed by
heavy brick piers; between them, on the first floor, is a thin
brick pilaster which intersects the cornice, above which is
the most elaborate gable in the whole elevation: 2
round-arched windows set in a composite gable, the tympanum
ornamented with a terracotta panel. Nearest the join with the
larger block is a gabled bay of 2 windows topped by a high
triangular pediment; the aedicule in this gable contains a
stone plaque inscribed with the following words: "School Board
for Brighton and Preston. U. D. Finsbury Road School. Erected
AD 1881. Marriage Wallis Chairman. J. Carden, Jr., Clerk". 2
ground-floor windows in the range between the gables are
taller than the rest and project above the eaves to finish in
a broad hipped dormer.
The rear elevation is noteworthy. To the south is a
flat-arched entrance decorated with terracotta panels and a
panel inscribed "Infants" in late C19 lettering. To the larger
block a stair tower with an entrance, now partly blocked,
inscribed "Girls". Several dormers similar to those on the
main elevation. Stacks to rear wall.

Listing NGR: TQ3201304849

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

480735

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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