Former Penkhull Board School

Summary

A former board school of 1896 by Robert Scrivener & Sons of Hanley, extended to the rear in 1912.

Reasons for Designation

The former Penkhull Board School, Stoke-on-Trent, built in 1896, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* the school is of an assured design in the Vernacular Revival style with Arts and Crafts detailing, enhanced by the sparing but effective use of stone and cut brick dressings, and by twin towers with pulvinated friezes;
* the building remains largely as built, both externally and internally, barring an addition of a sympathetically designed early C20 extension.

Historic interest:

* where they survive well board schools are important symbols of social change in the later Victorian era associated with increased industrialisation, especially in urban areas such as the Potteries.

Group value:

* with the former North Staffordshire School for the Deaf (Grade II) an early C19 house built as The Mount for Josiah Spode II.

History

The Education Act of 1870 established a system of School Boards and in 1876 the Stoke School Board took control of the Penkhull National School building on Trent Valley Road. By 1896, the Board had commissioned the architects to the Hanley School Board, Robert Scrivener and Sons (a partnership run by Robert's sons, A & E E Scrivener), to design a new school on a corner plot between Greatbatch Avenue and Prince's Road and it opened on 3 May 1897 as a mixed school for 470 children to attend. The school was extended to the north in 1912, as shown on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1924. It became Penkhull County Secondary School in 1932 and an annexe was built to the north sometime afterwards, and attached to the north end of the school via a link. The school closed in 2002 and was later used as an arts centre. In 2014 permission was granted for the demolition of the building, although in 2017 a scheme for its restoration and re-use has been proposed.

Details

A former board school of 1896 by Robert Scrivener & Sons of Hanley, extended to the rear in 1912 and with later extensions and alterations.

MATERIALS: red brick in English bond with moulded blue brick copings to the plinth and ashlar dressings to the openings including keystones and hood moulds. There is brick detailing to the eaves and to some tall brick stacks, and each tower has a decorative moulded stone frieze. That to the east includes a timber bell tower. The roofs are covered in plain tiles with lead finials, and there is glazing to the hall roof; rainwater goods are cast-iron and plastic replacements. The interior tiles are by Minton Hollins. The part-glazed divisions between classrooms and the central hall, cupboards, window frames and doors are all timber. The floors are covered in timber blocks laid in herringbone or clay tiles, mostly overlaid with later coverings.

PLAN: a central main hall surrounded by classrooms and cloakrooms (those to the north are of 1912), expressed as a central, tall single-storey range with a lower, one-and-a-half storey range to the front, single-storey pavilions set forward to each side and tall brick corner towers. The rear is of a tall single-storey on a basement with the classrooms at right angles to the main block to either side. The rear extension of 1912 is of the same height, also with basement, and with a narrow link to a two-storey rear annexe of later C20 date.

EXTERIOR: the prominent corner site gives three road elevations to the building, which is in the Vernacular Revival style with Arts and Crafts detailing. The symmetrical principal façade (south) is of five bays with a variation of roof heights. The broad central gabled bay has a tall Venetian window; the bays to each side have attic windows breaking through the eaves and tall stacks. The end bays are single-storey pavilions with central openings under domed pediments, also breaking through the eaves. Set back to each corner are entrance towers. The centre of the pulvinated frieze on the west tower reads STOKE ON TRENT/ SCHOOL BOARD; that to the east tower reads PENKHULL/ SCHOOLS; and to the east face 1896. The doors are double leaf with stone architraves and overlights (probably originally one for boys and one for girls).

The flank elevations have four gabled classroom bays, the second and fourth (1912) set forward with saw tooth detailing to the gable and Venetian openings. The first and third bays have twin openings under depressed round arches and an oculus in the gable end above. To the north end elevation, the central two bays are gabled and the corner bays are single-storey under flat roofs. On the east flank are two sets of railed steps to the basements. There is a lower-height single-storey addition in brick against the north bay of the west flank. The glazed link corridor is of timber construction and the annexe is of brick and partially rendered. Most windows are double hung sashes with overlights although there are also some casements.

INTERIOR: both main entrances lead to corridors with tiling to dado level, which extends into the main hall and all the classrooms. The dado incorporates panels of embossed tiles with a variety of patterns and is surmounted by moulded tiles. Above the dado to the main hall on all four sides are part-glazed partition walls with doors and built-in cupboards to the end walls. The main hall has five bays and a part-glazed roof with false hammer-beam collar-truss. There are glazed lunette openings to upper level at each end. The hall has an inserted partition the length of the east wall, creating a corridor by the east classrooms. The 1896 classrooms have arch-braced roofs (under later inserted ceilings) and were fitted with slate boards in moulded tile surrounds, fitted cupboards and tiled fireplaces. Most fireplaces and at least two slate boards remain, and one cupboard. One east classroom retains the full complement of the three features. The tilework is largely complete in all classrooms. In the early C20 part of the school, corridors have a larger profile stone dado rail.

In the front (south) range are two sets of stairs to attic rooms with fitted storage cupboards and panelled doors. The school bell is still in place in the east tower. Some gas light fittings also survive in the building. Across the interior there are localised alterations where fittings have been added and/or removed. There are more extensive late C20 alterations at the north-west and south-west corners of the buildings where the kitchens and toilets were located.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: there is a low boundary wall to both roads with railings and gates, and there is a set of steps down to Prince’s Road with brick piers and stone caps.

Sources

Other
Archaeological Building Recording of Penkhull School, Stoke-on-Trent Archaeology Service, 2014

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