Building Name

School House, Poyntington, Somerset

Date
1848
District/Town
Poyntington, near Sherborne
County/Country
Somerset, England
Work
New build
Contractor
Mr Harris of Sherborne

POYNTINGTON SCHOOL HOUSE, SOMERSET- The village of Poyntington is situated on the borders of Somerset, and about two miles from the town of Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, and contains a church of Decorated character, though in a very dilapidated condition. Until the above school was built, it was without any place of learning for the children of the poor inhabitants. The school-house represented by the annexed engraving, consists of one large room, 27 feet by 13 feet 6 inches, with a projection at the south-west corner, containing a raised platform or gallery for the infant children, a cloakroom on the north side, and spacious court and appurtenances; the walls are built of rubble stone in random courses, and all the dressings are of Ham Hill stone, properly tooled. All the wood, except the floor, which is of elm, is of red pine, and no paint is used throughout the building, all the woodwork being exposed to view, and stained with church varnish, prepared by Stephens.

The east elevation presents a gable, with three-light window of flowing tracery, and terminating in a cross; a floriated cross surmounts the gable, and an angle buttress flanks the south side; the door in the wall is the entrance to the cloakroom. The south side consists of a gable to the infants’ platform, in which is a two-light flowing window; on the top is a bell turret and bell. The door is covered with wrought iron scroll hinges and appropriate appendages and around it is cut “Poyntington School, built AD MDCCCXLVIII, and underneath on another member, “Holiness unto the Lord.” Internally the roof is open and boarded, and consists of rafter, collar, ties, hammer pieces and drop-rafters, resting on plates; the windows are all hooded and splayed and finished with diamond glass; the doors covered with wrought iron scroll hinges, and scriptural sentences painted on walls. The roof is covered with old tiles, and surmounted by a crested ridge. The cost of erection, including all the fittings, was within £250: the site was given, and most of the sculpture. The architect was Mr R J Withers of Sherborne, and the builder Mr Harris of the same place. [Builder 18 November 1848 pp559-560]

NEW SCHOOL, POYNTINGTON, SOMERSET – Mr R. J. Withers has completed a very creditable school here, in rather pretending Middle-Pointed. The details are severally too strictly ecclesiastical, but the whole has avoided to a great degree a mere chapel-like effect. The gable window is of three lights, with reticulated tracery; this is too assuming, and particularly the ogee label ending in a rich crop in relief. The bell-gable is not very successful; but, we must say, upon the whole, we know few schools so pleasing as this. [Ecclesiologist 1849 page 265]

Reference    Ecclesiologist 1849 page 265
Reference    Builder 18 November 1848 page 559-560 with illustration
Reference    Sherborne Mercury Dorset, England 14 Oct 1848 –CHECK
Reference    Sherbourne Mercury 27 May 1848