Building record 3907/3/1 - The Old School

School, now house. Dated 1624, extended C19. Coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, Collyweston stone slate roof with coped gable and ball finials to original block, moulded stone end stack to C19 addition.

{1} School, now house. Dated 1624, extended C19. Coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, Collyweston stone slate roof with coped gable and ball finials to original block, moulded stone end stack to C19 addition. One storey. Quoins. Original block has entrance to left: door of 3 wide boards in moulded stone architrave (possibly reset) with tablet over, inscribed "A . FREE . SCHOOLE . FOR / WEEKLEY . AND . WRECKTON / FOUNDED . BY . NICOLAS . LATHAM / CLERKE . PARSON . OF . BARNEWELL / S.ANDREW. TO . TEACH. THEIRE / CHILDREN . TO . WRITE . AND . READE / ANNO DOMINI:1624". 4-light ovolo-moulded stone-mullioned window with king mullion and casement-moulded cornice to right. Rest of original front is marked by addition, but there are 3-light stone-mullioned windows with cornices to the gable ends - ovolo-moulded to the north, chamfered to south. C19 wing ovolo-moulded to the north, chamfered to south. C19 wing projecting towards street has a 3-light chamfered mullioned window with transom and cornice in gable end, and 2 3-light chamfered mullioned windows with cornices over in south flank. Interior not inspected.

{3} The interior of the structure has been altered in several different phases. The main area has had a ceiling inserted at some point; this would appear to be after the 19th century development of the building as the 19th century window on the north face has now been cut across. There are, however, two chamfered beams with scrolled brackets in the main room in the original school house and these would appear to predate the 19th century. A masonry wall has been constructed to divide a small section of the building to the south. The ceiling height in this area is higher than that in the rest of the house and indicating that the division of this room must predate the insertion of the ceiling. A masonry wall and plaster board partition have been added to the north end of the building to provide a bathroom and hall. There is no evidence for a fireplace in this room, but the building must have been heated and it is assumed that a fireplace would have existed presumably on the eastern wall of the building.
In the 19th century an additional classroom was added to the building at right angles to the original structure with the gable end frontage in line with the stone boundary wall. This structure was also built of limestone with a Collyweston slate roof and mirrored many of the architectural features of the original building. This part of the building retains its original fireplace and ceiling height, but modern doors and a temporary partition have been inserted in to the room.
A single storeyed flat-roofed entranceway was added to the building in the early 20th century. The construction again followed the architectural features of the earlier building. The entrance to the building was a ledged and braced wooden door. Two extensions were added to the building in the 1950's.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 15/356 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), K1/4 p.140 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN100754.

<3> Ballinger, J., 2000, School House, Weekley, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN104233.

Record last edited

Oct 9 2023 10:47AM