Bolton School

Details

BOLTON

SD60NE CHORLEY NEW ROAD 797-1/3/53 (South side) 26/04/74 Bolton School

II

School. Central block of 1928, the outer quadrangles added later (completed in 1965), fulfilling the original plan for the school. Charles T Adshead, original architect, Bradshaw, Gass and Hope, architects of later work. Intended for girls as well as boys from the outset, the school was designed to contain 2 separate establishments, each occupying half of an exactly symmetrical building. Red sandstone, well coursed and squared, with green slate roofs. Tudor style. PLAN: original block built around 3 sides of a courtyard, with entrance range and 2 wings to rear, housing main halls at first-floor level. EXTERIOR: outer gables of hall ranges are 3 storey with 2 storey embattled canted bay windows with 3-tier mullioned and transomed leaded lights. These gables are connected to the central entrance tower by 3-bay ranges with 3-tier mullioned and transomed windows to principal upper storey, mullioned windows below. Entrance tower is flanked by octagonal turrets, and the wide 4-centred archway through to courtyard is enriched with rosettes etc. Ribbed arcading above the arch and below the string course of the paired 3-tier mullioned and transomed leaded windows of the upper storey, with a traceried niche set between them. 2-light mullioned windows each side of clock in upper stage. Embattled parapet. Rear elevation similar, but with central canted bay windows to ground floor. Symmetrical hall ranges to each side to rear, the upper storey halls of 8 bays with 3-tier mullioned and transomed leaded windows, and mullioned windows to ground floor. Advanced gables over entrances (enriched 4-centred archways) towards rear, with 3-storey bay beyond, housing staircase in canted bay projecting from return elevation. Outer quadrangles are also symmetrically planned, with cloisters on 2 sides. South wing in western quadrangle formed part of the first phase of building; the south wing in the eastern quadrangle was opened in 1932. Both are 3 storey, and symmetrical about a central gable in their rear elevations, their style a stripped-down Tudor. West and east wings c1940-50. North wings were completed c1950-60, and are stone faced to the front elevation, brick to rear. Their front elevations extend the line of the original block, and represent a simplified interpretation of its style: outer gables with 2-storey canted bay windows, and 4 wide bays with plain mullioned windows each side of a central entrance gable with simple 4-centred archway giving access to quadrangle. Dining hall of c1950 projects from the east. INTERIOR: of the original building retains oak wall-panelling, doors with leaded glazed lights, and ornate imperial staircases giving access to first-floor halls. Ornate hammerbeam roofs in each hall. HISTORY: Bolton School (an old foundation) was originally established on this site c1900, and the present building was commissioned following amalgamation with the Bolton High School for Girls in 1915, under the auspices of Lord Leverhulme, who was a governor of the school between 1898 and 1925. Choice of architect was the result of a competition in 1919. (Bolton and District Civic Trust: Buildings of Bolton: Bolton: 1983-).

Listing NGR: SD6997009346

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

475947

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Buildings of Bolton, (1983)

End of official list entry

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