Former School and School House, Grittleton, Wiltshire, SN14 (Grade II*)

GRITTLETON SEVINGTON ST 87 NE

7/34 Former School and School House

School and school-teacher’s house, 1848 by James Thomson for Joseph Neeld of Grittleton, incorporating important C14 stonework from Leigh Delamere Church (q.v.), then being rebuilt. Rubble stone with ashlar dressings, stone slate roofs and coped gables. West front gable carries the exceptional C14 bellcote of Leigh Delamere Church, ashlar, square-plan set diagonally with massive corbels out to west and east, pointed openings and row of five shafts at angles, with carved capitals. Shafts to north and south extend further down and have shaft-rings. Octagonal stone spire with finial and raised circular plinths above angles of bell-stage. Gable below has wave-moulded pointed open arch, former chancel arch, and lancet panel over. Heavy buttresses each side. Within porch, doorway to School House to north, C19 depressed pointed and C14 moulded pointed centre door to schoolroom with fine C15 small canopied niche with original carved Virgin and Child. C19 depressed pointed doorway to south. South wall has Perpendicular 4-light flat-headed window with cusped lights and hoodmould, possibly also reused. Schoolroom within is outstanding example of a very small village school of the mid C19 with original furnishing, edge-grain wood-block floor and fireplace. The east wall incorporates the C15 reredos from Leigh Delamere. Three taller canopied niches, the canopies cut back, and 6 smaller niches between, these with paired finials over each, shields between finials and fleuron frieze above, between taller niches. On the outside east wall is the blocked east window of the church, of 3 stepped lights with cusped heads. To north, School House has 2- gable, 2-storey front with stack in valley, diagonal buttresses and two 2-light windows each floor. One 2-light with cusped-head lights on west side. The school opened April 1849, closed 1913, and for the whole period had the same teacher. (N. Pevsner, Wiltshire, 1975, 467)