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Summary

Old school house originated in the 15th century and rebuilt twice in the 18th century. The building was converted into three houses in the late 19th or early 20th century

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1105469: THE OLD SCHOOL AND SCHOOLHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SCHOOL (Post Medieval to XVIII - 1540 AD to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'School' shown on 19th century map as two adjoining buildings on the east side of Buckland Monachorum's village square to the northwest of the parish church.

Copeland, G. W., 1949, Eighteenth annual report of the Plymouth and District branch 1948-1949, 125-6 (Article in Serial). SDV339373.

Lady Modyford's School in the village square at Buckland Monachorum of early worked granite and elvan which appear to have been reused in the erection of the building on 1702. It was suggested that a row of stone corbels on the west side formerly supported an external wooden gallery by which the upper floor, now removed, was reached.

Copeland, G. W., 1961, Devonshire Church Houses, part 2, 254-5 (Article in Serial). SDV7456.

The Great House in Buckland Monachorum was a school in the 19th century. It originated in the 15th century and was partly rebuilt circa 1702 and again in 1780-1790 when old materials were reused. A building in the village square to the southwest of the church was identified by A S Parker in 1930 as the Church House which may have been this building or The Drake Manor public house to the south.

Department of Environment, 1987, Buckland Monachorum, 70 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV240503.

A deep rectangular plan likely originally to have been one long school room on the ground floor.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 233 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Described as west of the church endoed in 1702 by Lady Modyford and repaied in 1724. Possibly older with its Tudor type porch, four-centred granite doorways and two-light arched windows. The original plan was probably a single ground floor school room, sub-divided in the 18th century to form a school house at the rear.

Waterhouse, R. E., 1991, Untitled Source, 74-6 (Un-published). SDV157323.

Old School House in Buckland Monachorum fronts the main village street, backing the churchyard to west. Large building, converted into two cottages and aligned north/south. Three chimney stacks, one on north gable, one half way down ridge and long lateral on front. Internal lateral stair on rear. Two 19th century outshots are attached here, one to the stair and one on the main building to its south. A narrow lane runs here, dividing the building from the churchyard. Ground floor porch centrally placed on south end with door through wall behind. This may be additional, as above the porch door is a slate plaque recording the buildings' conversion to a school in 1702. Creamy slate ashlar for main walls with rhyolite for window door jambs and tracery. The roof of the building is of modern slate, the northern half possibly being on an original frame, while the southern half has been lowered for the schoolroom. See survey for full details of architectural features.

Department of Environment, 2007, Buckland Monachorum (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV339352.

The Old School and School-house in Buckland Monachorum. 3 houses, originally a school dated 1702, altered later in the 18th and in 20th centuries which was probably when the school was converted to a house. Rubble walls with granite dressings. Slate roof hipped at front and gabled at rear. 3 rubble stacks: one lateral projecting from the left-hand side, one axial and one at the rear gable end. A deep rectangular plan likely originally to have been one long school room on the ground floor heated by a lateral stack on the left-hand side, probably also heating the room above which was reached by a newel stairs in a projection at the rear on the right side. The ground floor was divided into 2 rooms later in the 18th century to create a schoolhouse at the rear of the school. In the 20th century the school was subdivided into 2 cottages, the larger at the front. The right side of the building is against the churchyard. 2 storeys. The main front addition written at end of this report has symmetrical 3 window hipped facade with central single storey porch. On 1st floor the outer 2 windows are tall 2-light granite mullions with transoms and roundheaded lights with recessed spandrels - extremely archaic style for the date. At the centre is a tall 20th century casement window with segmental arched head. The ground floor windows to left and right are identical to those above but smaller and without the transoms. The central gabled porch has a 4-centre stone arched doorway moulded, with recessed spandrels, also very archaic for the date; inscribed on a slate plaque above is "Endowed by Lady Modiford in 1702 repaired and re-endowned by Sir Masseh Lopes 1830"; small granite cross on the gable above the porch. At either corner of the front is a diagonal buttress. The left-hand side of the building has 19th century 6-pane sashes to the right either side of the lateral stack. To the left-hand side is the school house which has 2 early-mid 20th century casements with diamond leaded panes; the ground floor left-hand window is in a chamfered stone frame. The right-hand window re-uses a mullion lintel. Between them is 4-centred stone arched doorway. Between the ground and 1st floors is a row of what appear to be curved stone corbels - possibly these are the only surviving evidence of some form of 1st floor gallery. At the right side of the School House to the left on the 1st floor is a single chamfered round headed light with recessed spandrels. Below it and to the right is a small 4-centred arched granite doorway. To its right is a rectangular stair projection with a square headed granite window. Interior: of school has a 4-centred granite arched doorway with roll moulding inside the porch. The main room has a granite framed fireplace with basket arch, double roll moulding and recessed spandrels at the top of each side wall is a corbel table of dressed granite supporting a plain wooden beam the purpose of which is unclear. At the back of the original school is a granite 4-centred arched doorway which led into the school house. The original features of this building - both internal and external - are of a surprisingly archaic style for the date of the endownment and it is possible either that the building is an earlier one or that there features have been reused from an earlier buildings. It is noticeable however that public buildings in Devon of the 17th century are often in an arhaic style as for example the Grammar School at Plympton. Other details: LBS No 92682.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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