Building record 1223/0/32 - 57 High Street (The Old School House)

Significant building in South Northants. A late 18th or early 19th century house built on the site of, and incoporating material from, an earlier building. Owned by the Duke of Grafton from at least 1727, it was a cottage comprising two tenements, later the schoolmaster's house before becoming a private residence in 1972.

{1} Identified by South Northamptonshire Council as being a building of historic and/or architectural significance.

{2} Analysis, plan and photographs. One and half storey, five-bay limestone rubble house aligned approx east-west, fronting onto the High Street. It has a plain tiled roof, and a 20th century extension to the west.

At first sight this house appears to be the one depicted on the Collier and Baker Survey of 1727 {3} . Whilst it is one the same site, the details of the preent building cannot be reconciled with either the form or the date of the earlier house. Documentary evidence further confirms that in 1727 the Old schoolhouse was a cottage divided into two tenements, leased by William Bushnell from the Duke of Grafton and further sub-let to tenants. By 1757 the building was in a dilapidated state and in much need of repair. However, they continued to be let as two separate dwellings until at least 1825, but by 1830 it had been converted into a single dwelling for the schoolmaster of the recently founded school.

There is very little evidence for an 18th century building within the present structure and certainly no evidence for doors and windows in the positions of the building shown on the 1727 map.

As the Duke of Grafton donated the land behind the house for the school (built 1818) and is known to have provided rent-free accommodation for the school-master, it seems appropriate that he refurbished or rebuilt the two tenements as a house for the school master at about that time.

<1> SOUTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL, 2012, South Northamptonshire Council Survey of Significant Historic Buildings, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN108984.

<2> Conlon R., 2005, The Whittlewood Project: Historic Buildings Survey, Potterspury with Furtho (Report). SNN105034.

<3> Collier; Adams, c1727, Map of Potterspury (Map). SNN20527.

<4> Woodfield, P, 2003, The Whittlewood Project: Phase 1 rapid survey of all buildings within the 12 parishes of the survey, identifying buildings that have, or are likely to have, fabric dating from before 1700 (Report). SNN116636.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2024 4:27PM