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Summary

The school originally opened in 1863. The main school building comprises a rectangular block with a wing at the north and south ends and is symmetrical apart from a porch on the northern end. Of brick construction with a pitched slate roof with stone finials on the gable ends. Now converted.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SCHOOL (Built, XIX - 1860 AD to 1863 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

School marked.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Modern mapping shows the main school building now divided into separate properties.

Whelan, J. + Hawkes, J., Dec 2005, Archaeological Monitoring during Redevelopment of the former Topsham Middle School, Parkfield Road, Topsham, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV355794.

Historical desk-based assessment and monitoring undertaken during the conversion of two former school buildings and the construction of new buildings on Parkfield Road. Prior to the commencement of the works the site comprised four main elements; the main Victorian school, the headmaster's house latterly used as offices and two modern buildings of concrete and timber construction respectively. Map evidence suggests that the school, which opened in 1863, was built on a greenfield site. The architects plan of 1860 shows the original internal arrangement of the school and the uses to which the rooms were initially put. The building is symmetrical externally, apart from a porch at the northern end which provided a separate access for the infant classes. The north wing was constructed as one room, whereas the southern wing was divided crossways to provide a smaller classroom on the eastern side, the western portion forming part of the extended gallery that formed the main body of the school. At an unknown later date the cross wall was removed and a partition inserted to separate the structure into a main hall with two identically sized wings. This may have occurred in 1926 when extensive renovations are recorded as having taken place.
The building is of brick with a pitched slate roof with stone finials on the gable ends. There are chimney stacks for the fireplaces shown on the architect's plan in the angles between the south elevation and the two wings and also adjacent to the porch. There are metal louvres on the roof ridges. Internal conversion works within the building revealed some of the original an early features such as blocked doorways and windows which had been concealed by later building works.
Finds recovered during observation of groundworks comprised 19th century industrial white wares, glass bottle shards and fragments of brick from the top soil and three sherds of industrial white ware with transfer and hand painted decoration from a pit (12). These are likely to be contemporary with the construction and early phases of the school. A potentially earlier soil horizon (16) contained two sherds of stoneware which are probably later 18th - 19th century in date and several small unidentifiable fragments of animal bone which may have derived from earlier agricultural use of the site.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5462 - POT (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD)
• FDV5461 - POT (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV6369 - Archaeological Monitoring during Redevelopment of the former Topsham Middle School

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