Oak Woods School House

Details

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1887/0/10024

DUNSFOLD
THE COMMON
Oak Woods School House

(Formerly listed as DUNSFOLD COMMON ROAD Dunsfold School)

07-AUG-07

II

Former school and schoolmaster's house. The original part to the west is a National School dated 1839 in Tudor style. An early C20 classroom wing was added to the north east.

MATERIALS: Red brick in Flemish bond with some vitrified headers. The central and south parts have slate roofs but the north part of the original building and the later addition have tiled roofs. The central former schoolmaster's house has two squat brick chimneystacks, each with terracotta chimneypots.

PLAN: A projecting central two storey and attic schoolmaster's house of one bay, flanked by single storey three bay classrooms for boys and girls, with later classroom extension to the north east forming an L-wing.

EXTERIOR: The west side of the central schoolmaster's house has a gable with dogtooth cornice and kneelers and the windows are early C19 metal-framed casements with a pattern of alternate rows of diamond and hexagonal panes. These comprise a single light to attic, two-light to first floor and three-light window to ground floor, all with brick hood-mouldings. A stone dedication panel is set between ground and first floors. The south classroom has two windows, one an original metal-framed casement, and the main entrance with brick surround and ribbed and studded door with two panels cut in the top. This has a porch with hipped slate roof supported on a rustic pillar. The south end has a gable with dogtooth cornice and kneelers, a pointed arched louvred ventilation opening in the gable and original metal-framed casement with brick hood moulding below. The north classroom is similar but with three window openings, the southernmost retaining an original metal-framed casement, the others replaced with a single sheet of glass in the 1950s. The north gable end has kneelers, a dogtooth cornice, a pointed arched louvred ventilation opening in the gable and a recessed door with brick hood-moulding. The east elevation has a gable end with kneelers to the school house and an original brick lean-to and plank door to the south, but the rear wall to the north was removed when the early C20 classroom wing was added. This is built of red brick with tiled roof with a cylindrical metal ventilator. The east side has six pivoting casements, one of which is three tier under a gable. The south end has a gable with large arched mullioned and transomed casement.

INTERIOR: The central school house retains a number of four-panelled doors and a straight flight staircase with stick balusters and column newel. The front ground floor room has a simple wooden fireplace and the rear room a brick fireplace. The first floor front room retains a simple wooden fireplace. A passage to the south between the school house and south schoolroom has a round-headed alcove on one side and a wall of thin scantling timber with painted brick infill. The south classroom retains a four-panelled door but the fireplace is of later C20 date. The north classroom has a corner fireplace and a round-headed recess in the south wall. The 1839 building retains the original roof of softwood with ridgepiece. The early C20 classroom addition has a wooden plank partition and a fireplace but the ceiling has been boxed-in.

HISTORY: The engraved stone in the centre of the school house reads: "These Schools were built in 1839 at the cost of Miss Katherina Woods of Shopwick in Sussex and of Burningfold in this parish and are supported by voluntary subscriptions for the education of the children of the parish of Dunsfold." A mid C19 engraving shows the building in use and children playing on the common in front. The engraving shows taller chimneys to the school house with double stacks set diagonally, single stacks to the classrooms and a bellcote to the gable end of the north classroom.

The building is shown on the first edition 1871 Ordnance Survey map as "School (Boys and Girls)". The footprint is rectangular with a projecting centre to the west and some small extensions to the east. This footprint has not changed by the second edition OS map of 1897, but by the 1916 third edition a large classroom extension has been added to the north-east, changing the plan form to an L-shape.

On 1st March 1957 the estate of the Duke of Westminster gave the school premises on the ground floor of the northern part of the building, i.e. the northern classroom and attached C20 wing, to the Guildford Diocese "for the purpose of a Church of England School for the education of children and adults or children only and for no other purpose". The southern part which comprises the central part and southern classroom, known as School House, was transferred to Surrey County Council for £1000 subject to a lease in respect of its occupation by the headteacher. School House was vacated in the late C20 and the school closed in 2004.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: An 1839 National School with an unusually elaborate symmetrical composition of central schoolmaster's house flanked by classrooms for boys and girls and good survival of exterior and interior features. The early C20 classroom wing to the north east is of lesser importance.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

502860

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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