Building record 1126/5/1 - Nos. 1 to 5 High Street (The Old Grammar School)

Founded by Sir John Langham of Cottesbrooke in 1668. Now five houses.

{1} School now five houses. C.1688, founded by John Langham of Cottesbrooke. Lias ashlar with stone slate roof. Main block of south façade originally school room and dormitory of 2 storeys with attic and cellar. 4-window range the left hand bay breaking forward to form a gabled two storey porch with mezzanine and attic has semi circular arched entrance with oval window returns. C19 plank door with stop hinges and stone flight below. 3-light stone mullioned windows with cross trasomes and C20 diamond leaded panes. Ashlar gable parapets and kneelers. Brick stacks at ends. Sundial above entrance dated 1821 flanked by single light mezzanine winders. Similar late C17 masters house to left of entrance of single storey with attic of 3-window range with similar stone mullions. Ashlar gable parapet and kneelers, central brick stack. Ashlar string course between ground and first floor throughout. Similar flanking wings to rear with central projecting wing has mainly C20 casement windows. Interior: C20 remodelling to form 5 houses. Some re-set chamfered fireplace lintels.

{3} Converted into flats in 1972. Originally designed for 50 boys, a master and an usher. The style of the building is decidedly conservative.

{4} Undated photo;

{5} [Former list description] 1668. Founded by Sir John Langham of Cottesbrooke. Built of ochre coloured sandstone and with a frontage of just over 100 ft. it faces South forming one side of a square open to the road on the West side and open to the fields on the East. For more than half its length (from the East end) it is a lofty 2-storey building with a deep plinth and 3 large gabled dormers rising up from the face, each with a 3-light mullioned window; and a gabled porch (west end of this block) which rises higher than the dormers. In the gable of the porch there is a small 2-light mullioned window. There are 3 large 6-light mullioned and transomed windows to both floors. The rest of the building has one main storey and 3 gabled dormers. The steep pitch roofs are of Colley Weston slates. The chimney stacks on the gable ends of the main block are late brick. There are verges and carved kneelers on all gables. The lower block has 3 windows similar to those in the main block. All have early metal casement openings with diamond leaded lights. The entrance, a semi-circular headed doorway is approached by a flight of stone steps. A heavy cornice runs above the ground floor windows of both blocks and it continues on the 3 sides of the porch. There is a similar cornice above the first floor windows on the larger block which also has moulded eaves. Above the first cornice on the porch there are 2 small square windows with a sundial between them and above those runs another cornice. The
first floor window (6-light mullioned and transomed) is at a higher level than those in the larger block.
From the North side the lower section of the building is found to be L-shaped and the main block has 3 projecting gabled wings. This side of the roof is modern tiles. (The whole building was re-roofed about 5 years ago - 1945). Very fine staircase with carved balusters. The entire building is in fairly good condition.

{6} Sketch dated 1857;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 3/160 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G01 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.243-4 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Photographs of buildings in Guilsborough (Photographs). SNN111759.

<5> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR)Dist of Brixworth, Northants. Aug. 1950 18 (Report). SNN112993.

<6> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/129/1 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2024 12:20PM