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Summary

Greenhill School, the old primary school, Fore Street Moretonhampstead (1875-2007). Greenhill School, built adjoining the church house next to Cross Tree House on Cross Street, replaced an earlier school premises on the site which was destroyed by fire in 1845. Temporarily the school was continued in a private house while the site was rebuilt in 1846. By 1875 the school expanded and the existing buildings were constructed as Greenhill School.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1517494
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SX78NE51

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SCHOOL (Built, XIX to Late 20th Century - 1875 AD (Between) to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

School depicted on Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (approximately 1905).

Friend, G., 1989, Memories of Moretonhampstead, 61-62 (Monograph). SDV347146.

A school house originally occupied the site, adjoining a Church House next to Cross Tree House. In 1826, the Church House was occupied by the schoolmaster. The upper portion of the school house was used as a school room and the lower was occupied by poor persons (either a married couple or two single people). Both of these premises were destroyed by fire on 12 September 1845 and the school was continued in a private house rented by the schoolmaster. In 1846 the site was rebuilt and by 1875 an extension of the school accommodation was made, at a cost of £700 (found through voluntary subscriptions) and the primary school used up until 2007 was built.
In 1920, all children aged four years were admitted to Greenhill School, termed the Girls and Mixed Infants School. At age 7, boys were moved to the Boy’s School in Pound Street until age 14 unless they passed an examination at age 11 when they could attend the Grammar School in Newton Abbot (if they were able to afford the cost of uniforms, travel and books etc).

Best, J. + Manning, P., 2007, Archaeological Evaluation of the Annexe of Greenhill Primary School, Moretonhampstead, Devon, 4 (Report - Evaluation). SDV350009.

A messuage called the Church House, with a school house adjoining, is referred to in deeds of 1756. In 1830 a ground floor room of the Church House was occupied by poor people and the room over it was used as a school room. The Church House and school house burnt down in 1845 and rebuiltin in 1846 partly on the site of the old school house. The complex of buildings to the south of the road shown on the 1840 Tithe Map presumably, therefore, included the Church House and school house before the fire. In 1876 the School Boards leased the new schoolroom and the site adjoining and built the present school, known as Greenhill School. An extension to the school was built opposite, on the north side of the road, in 1961.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

2011, Moretonhampstead Development Trust (Website). SDV347424.

Since the school moved to its new premises in 2007, a refurbishment plan has been put in place for the site, part of which is to be sold off as housing (northern part). The southern part of the site is to remain in community use and will include a youth centre and arts and heritage space.

2011, Moretonhampstead Primary School (Website). SDV347422.

A new primary school was occupied in September 2007 in Betton Way, Moretonhampstead, replacing the old school on Fore Street.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 2011, Staff Training Day worksheet (Worksheet). SDV347337.

Late 19th century or earlier school building on Fore Street (south side) now disused.

2011, Untitled Source (Photograph). SDV347423.

View of the old school house looking south.

Thorp, J., 2019, Weavers Fore Street, Moretonhampstead, An Impact Assessment (Report - Assessment). SDV365276.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 26/04/2021, Case 169793 (Website). SDV364039.

(Sift Summary Report on case 169793, in file 508126/001) The school was built in 1875/6 by an unknown architect. It is a modestly proportioned and detailed school loosely Gothic design. It has a U shaped plan and it is a single-story building constructed of dressed granite with slate roofs. A broad north elevation faces the road with gabled wings standing either side of, and set forward from, a cross passage with gabled porch. Each gable ends has timber decorated bargeboards and a central window with two-centred arch and trefoil ventilators above. The central front door has been mostly removed. The windows have stone architraves and there are stone quoins to the corners of the gabled wings. The south elevation has similar gabled wings, although it is altered and partly obscured by a large 20th century extension. The east elevation has an inserted doorway and rooflights in the roofslope. The west elevation appears unaltered. The interior of the building has been somewhat reordered, notably at the rear of the building. Furthermore a second floor and stairs have been inserted in the east wing, and suspended ceilings installed in other parts of the building. The Revised Principles of Selection (2007) state that when considering buildings for listing, greater selectively is required for those constructed after 1840. This is because of the greatly increased number of buildings erected and the large numbers that have survived. English Heritage’s Education Buildings Selection Guide (2007) sets out that the most striking feature of schools built between 1870 and 1914, following the 1870 Education Act, is their external architectural quality. It goes on to note that the layout of schools became increasingly formulaic at this time and exceptions to standard plans are of most interest. Completeness is the most important aspect when giving consideration to listing school buildings of this date and losses and ill-proportioned additions can reduce designation-worthiness. Therefore, in order to merit designation the Old School would need to demonstrate architectural quality, intactness and rarity of type. The former Old School at Moretonhampstead has a restrained design and modest proportions, built to a standard plan. As already determined in English Heritage’s consideration of the building in 2003, this building is considerably altered: the bell turret is missing and internally, suspended ceilings have been inserted along with a second floor in the east wing. Furthermore there is a large extension to the rear involving the infilling of the original central part of the plan, and a number of openings have been modified. Given the school’s modest architectural handling, its standard plan and the degree of alteration it does not merit listing. It does, however, make a positive contribution to the character of the local area, particularly in its setting close to the Grade I listed parish church.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5095 - Moretonhampstead assessment training day
• EDV6010 - Archaeological Evaluation of the Annexe of Greenhill Primary School, Moretonhampstead (Ref: 07.42)

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