Jesmond Road Primary School, Master's House, Play Shed and Surrounding Wall

Reasons for Designation

Jesmond Road School constructed in 1902 to designs by Percy-Hinde in 1895 is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural quality: a good example of a late board school built in a lively and well-detailed Queen Anne style.
* Completeness: the main building incorporating specialist blocks along with its ancillary structures including boundary walls, master's house and a play shed, illustrate the range of building types and functions on a typical board school site.
* Intactness: it displays an overall high level of external and internal intactness

Details

1676/0/10025 JESMOND ROAD 23-FEB-11 JESMOND ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, MASTER'S HOUSE, PLAY SHED AND SURROUNDING WALL

II Board school, 1902 to designs by E Percy-Hinde dated 1895

MATERIALS: red/grey brick with terracotta and glazed brick dressings; slate roofs

PLAN: school has ground and first-floor central halls flanked on two long sides by classrooms which open directly into it. Specialist blocks and head teachers and staff rooms lie to the other sides.

EXTERIOR: Queen Anne Revival style two and three storey ranges with shaped gables. Windows are mostly original timber sliding sashes and roofs are pitched with a large central roof ventilator. All entrances have scrolled plaques denoting Infants, Girls and Boys. The main (south) elevation comprises three bays, the central bay with a shaped gable is recessed and contains a modern entrance inserted into a former window opening, flanked by tall windows with three stepped lights above; narrow wing walls, each with an original Infant's entrance, link this bay to the two projecting end bays, each of which have a blind central section up to second-floor level framed by strip pilasters and flanked by narrow rectangular windows; the third floor is occupied by a two-light window flanked by single lights. Attached to the side of each end bay is a single-storey flat-roofed modern toilet block. The right and left returns are two-storey blocks formed by five identical gabled bays, each bay articulated by strip pilasters, and tall three light windows on each floor, those on the first floor are stepped. The gables are shaped and each have a round window and narrow bands. The rear (north) elevation has entrances for Girls' and access to the 'Cookery' block and access for Boys' and to the 'Manual Instruction' block as well as a kitchen range with a tall tapering brick chimney rising above the buildings with glazed brick decoration. There are boys and girls access into their respective playgrounds through large semi-circular arches picked out in glazed red brick.

INTERIOR: there is a large central hall on each floor, flanked by classrooms which retain original boarding to dado level with painted plaster above and have original cupboards and doors. Many of the moveable timber and glass partitions between individual classrooms are retained. Stairs to the upper floor are simple with original full height cupboards on each landing. The trusses forming the roof of the upper hall have decorative metal brackets; an atrium in the centre of the parquet floor, designed to allow light to enter the hall below, has been infilled. The headmaster's and staff rooms are housed on the second floor at the front of the school and each retains its original fireplace. At the entrance to the first floor hall there is a First World War Roll of Honour. The specialist classrooms offering cookery and manual instruction are housed in blocks at the rear of the building.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: a) at south-east corner of site there is a two-storey, two-bay master's house with a pyramidal roof surmounted by a tall central chimney; all of its windows and doors are modern replacements. b) an original six-bay play shed with a hipped roof of slate is situated within the former Infants' yard at the south-west corner of the site. c) to all sides there is a low brick built perimeter wall surmounted by modern railings; this is pierced by three main entrances, flanked by plain brick piers, for boys, girl's and infants; all entrances gave access to their respective playgrounds.

HISTORY: The foundation stone for West Hartlepool Board School was laid on 18th June 1902. The architect was E Percy-Hinde of Liverpool (1864-1952) who won a competition to design the school, and the Clerk of Works was J Robson Smith. E Percy-Hinde was President of the Liverpool Architectural Society between 1915-19. The school opened on 7th September 1903 under the headship of Janet C Mackay and six additional teachers. 256 pupils were registered on the first day. Comparisons with the 2nd edition 1919 Ordnance Survey map shows that the footprint of the building remains as built with the exception of small toilet blocks attached to the south west and south east corners of the main façade. C21 insertions include a lift and an adapted entrance with a visitor waiting area.

SOURCES Harwood, E, England's Schools: History, architecture and adaptation (2010) http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_list.php?alpha=h (accessed - 7 September, 2010)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Jesmond Road School is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architectural quality: a good example of a late board school built in a lively and well-detailed Queen Anne style. * Completeness: the main building incorporating specialist blocks along with its ancillary structures including boundary walls, master's house and a play shed, illustrate the range of building types and functions on a typical board school site. * Intactness: it displays an overall high level of external and internal intactness

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

508934

Legacy System:

LBS

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