Building Name

High School for Girls, North Hill, Plymouth

Date
1878
Street
North Hill
District/Town
Plymouth
County/Country
Devon, England
Work
New build
Contractor
Blatchford & Son,

PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS - This new school, just opened, is built at North Hill, Plymouth, and occupies a space of about 152 feet by 72 feet. It is Tudor in style. The main entrance is in the east elevation, and consists of two doors divided by a stone buttress, which carries an oriel window. Under the oriel window is some carved work by Mr. Harry Hems, of Exeter. The oriel is sur mounted by a steepled roof. Each side of the east front shows a gable end. The stone used for the walls is Plymouth limestone of a grey tint, with quoins of a lighter colour, and Portland stone window dressings. The roofs are slated with Venlhelli slates. Internally we have on the basement board and waiting-rooms, dayroom and cloakroom, kitchen, and the heating chamber, where heat is generated and sent in pipes to the various class rooms. On the ground floor is the secretary's room, seven large class rooms, lavatories, and two very large cloakrooms, conveniently fitted up for 120 girls each. The first-floor landing is 14 feet by 10 feet. To the right is the library, and to the left the assembly-room, the principal room of the building, 60 feet by 30 feet, exclusive of a platform 16 feet by 7 feet 6 inches. The height of the room is 24 feet. The room is capable of seating 300. The lower part of the turret in the roof is fitted with Boyle's patent air-pump ventilator ; there are air tubes by which fresh air is drawn in from the outside; and there are hot and cold air flues, the cold air going down the one as the hot air rises from the other. There are five other large classrooms on the first floor. The clerk of the works was Mr. W. F. Siddall. The contractors are Messrs. Blatchford & Son, of Tavistock. Mr. Roach, of Union-street, Plymouth, supplied the Plymouth marble mantel shelves ; the ornamental tiles of the vestibule are Maws', laid by their London agents, Messrs. W. B. Simpson & Son, Martin's-lane ; the stained glass of the doors is by Messrs. Campbell & Smith, of London; and the cathedral tinted windows of the staircases are Messrs. Fouracre & Watson's, of Stonehouse ; the gas-fittings are by Messrs. Freeman & Collier, of Manchester; the limestone was brought from the Cattedown quarries of Mr. Sparrow ; and the water-closets and lavatories are the patent of Mr. Jennings, sanitary engineer, London. The cost of the whole will be about £7.000. [British Architect 25 January 1878 page 48]

We gave a description of this building in our issue of January 25th. It was opened on the 21st of January by the Bishop of Exeter. The total cost will be about £7,000. By the courtesy of the architect, we are enabled to give the plans, which have been carefully adapted to meet the necessities of a sloping site. [British Architect 22 February 1879 page 86]