National Schools and Master’s House Wilmslow

NEW SCHOOLS AT WILMSLOW - The foundation stone of the new National Schools at Wilmslow was laid yesterday by the Bishop of Chester. These schools, the design of which has been approved by the Education Committee of the Privy Council, will combine all that is required in a national day school, with great facilities and capabilities for parish or local meetings, lectures etc. The boys’ school room, 42 feet long by 20 feet wide, is separated from the girls, which is 34 feet long by 20 feet wide, by folding doors, thus making one large room capable of holding 300 persons. Both of these rooms have class rooms adjoining. The infants’ school is 35 feet long by 30 feet wide, and is entered by the same porch as the girls’ school, on the north side of the building. The boys’ porch is on the south side. At the east end of the building is the master’s house, containing parlour, kitchen and scullery on the ground floor, and three bedrooms above. The site is well-chosen for picturesque effect and convenience, on a piece of glebe land sloping towards the south, and near to the church. With this fine old building recently restored, in the style known as the perpendicular the new schools have been designed to harmonize. They are to be built of grey brick, relieved by slight touches of red, in arches, bands, string courses etc. There will be accommodation, according to the Government regulations, for 120 boys, 100 girls and 130 infants: 330 in all. The architects are Messrs J Medland and Henry Taylor, of Manchester. The cost of the schools and master’s house, including value of the site, given by the Incumbent (the Rev F N Cope) is estimated at £2,500. [Manchester Guardian 25 April 1868 page 5]

The foundation stone of the new National Schools at Wlmscote (sic) was laid on Friday by the Bishop of Chester. The site is near the old church, lately restored in the Perpendicular style, and with it the schools have been designed to harmonise. They will be built of grey bricks relieved by slight touches of red in arches, bands, and string courses. There will be accommodation for 120 boys, 100 girls, and 130 infants. The architects are Messrs J. Medland Taylor and Henry Taylor, of Manchester. The cost of the schools is estimated at ,2,500 [Building News 1 May 1868 page 302]

WILMSLOW - The foundation stone of the new national schools at Wilmslow has been laid by the Bishop of Chester. These schools, the design of which has been approved by the Education Committee of the Privy Council, will combine all that is required m a national day-school with facilities and capabilities for pariah or local meetings, lectures, etc. The boys’ school room, 42 feet long by 20 feet wide, is separated from the girls’, which is 34 feet long by 20 feet wide, by folding doors, thus making one large room capable of holding 300 persons. Both of those rooms have class-rooms adjoining. The infant school IS 35 feet. long by 30 feet wide and is entered by the same porch as the girls’ school on the north side of the building. The boys’ porch is on the south side. At the east end of the building is the master’s house. The site is a piece of glebe land sloping towards the south, and near to the church, with which old building, lately restored in the Perpendicular style, the new schools have been designed to harmonize. They are to be built of grey brick, relieved by slight touches of red in arches, band, string courses etc. There will be accommodation according to Government regulations for 120 boys, 100 girls, and 130 infants;i 350 in all. The architects are Messrs. J. Medland Taylor & Henry Taylor of Manchester. The cost of the schools and master’s house, including value of site given by the incumbent (the Rev. F. H. Cope) is estimated at £2,500. [Builder 30 May 1868 page 398]

WILMSLOW PARISH SCHOOLS - Adjacent to the church, situated on the verge of a charming green meadow are the new schools erected from the designs of the brothers Taylor, whose names are now so freely associated with church building. These schools are well designed, built of brick, with stone sparingly introduced, but neat clean and artistic in effect. The grounds in front are neatly laid out, and the parapet wall has received careful treatment at the hands of the designers.[The Manchester Critic 7 September 1872 page 69 ]

WILMSLOW PARISH SCHOOLS. The new schools Wilmslow, the foundation-stone which was laid by the Lord Bishop of Chester on the 24th April, 1868, were opened yesterday, by a fancy fair and miscellaneous concert. The design for these schools was passed by the committee of the Privy Council, and a handsome grant was made by Government towards the building fund. The schools combine all that is needed for national day school, with great facilities and capabilities for parish or local meeting, lectures, etc The boy's schoolroom 42ft. long by 20ft. wide, is separated from the girl's schoolroom, which 34ft. long by 20ft. wide, by folding doors, thus making, when so required, one large "T-shaped” room, capable of holding 300 persons. Both of these rooms have class rooms adjoining. The infant school is 35ft. long by 30ft. wide, is entered by the same porch as the girl's school, on the north side of the building. The boy's porch is on the south side. At the east end of the building is the master's house, containing parlour, kitchen, and scullery on the ground floor, and three bedrooms above. The schools are picturesquely as well as conveniently situated on a piece of glebe land, sloping towards the south, and near to the church. With this fine old building, lately restored in the style known perpendicular," or "late pointed," the new schools have been designed to harmonise. They are built of grey brick, relieved by slight touches of red, in arches, bands, string courses, etc. The framework of the windows is of stone; the roofs are slate, in two colours, arranged in patterns. The tracery of the windows has ornamental glazing, which has been done by Messrs Edmundson and Co. The school fittings are convertible, i.e., they will serve either for school desks and benches, or will fold up when so required into comfortable seats with backs, for meetings, etc. The gas fittings, put in by Messrs Thomason and Co., of Birmingham, are simple, but pretty in design, and consist of pendants and brackets. The best general view of the schools will be obtained from the winding lane which passes the east end of the church. From this point may be seen the left the gable of the boys' school, enriched by ornamental brickwork, and containing a handsome traceried four-light window. Next comes the boys' door and porch. Further to the right, and rather thrown back, are two smaller and simpler gables, each containing pointed traceried three-light windows, and separated by a broad square-headed window. Still more to the right is the master's house, with its slightly projecting gable. In addition to these four gables, the uniformity of the roof is still further broken by several dormers, quaintly designed chimneys, etc. There is accommodation, according to Government regulations, for 120 boys, 100 girls, and 130 infants—350 in all. The architects are Messrs  Medland and Henry Taylor, of Manchester. [Manchester Courier 2 June 1869 page 5]

Reference        Manchester Guardian 25 April 1868 page 5
Reference        Building News 1 May 1868 page 302
Reference        Builder 30 May 1868 page 398
Reference        Building News 19 June 1868 page 425 - tenders
Reference        Building News 26 June 1868 page 441 - tenders
Reference        Manchester Courier 2 June 1869 page 5]
Reference        Builder 26 June 1869 page 511 - opening
Reference        The Manchester Critic 7 September 1872 page 69 - Manchester Architecture X