St Paul’s Schools Portwood Stockport
The foundation stone of St Paul’s Schools, Portwood, Stockport was laid yesterday by Mr Edward Carrington Howard of Brinnington Hall, in the absence of Mrs Howard, who had been engaged to perform the ceremony. The schools are being erected in order to meet the increased educational requirements of Portwood and the neighbourhood, and the building is estimated to cost over ,2,200. There is a twofold purpose to be answered in the building - first that it shall be perfectly suited to the requirements of a day school worked under Government inspection; and secondly that it shall contain a large room, capable of holding some hundreds of persons on the occasions of lectures, penny readings, or other local meetings. For the day school purposes there are boys’ and girls’ rooms, each measuring 65 feet by 18 feet; the infants school being 30 feet by 28 feet. Three large classrooms are also provided for in the building. There is a cellar under the girls’ schoolroom, which will contain Haden’s heating apparatus, a boiler and some other conveniences. There are two spacious playgrounds, with the usual offices, which are arranged in corners out of sight, and effectually separated from one another. The cubical space is considerably more than is required by Government regulations, and ventilation of the most thorough kind is amply provided for. In fact heating, lighting and ventilation have all had the most particular attention. For public meetings, etc, there will be one undivided room, 63 feet by 30 feet, and alsi, if required, a transept (which is the infants’ school) 30 feet by 28 feet, projecting from one side. In aid of this building the Committee of Council have made a large grant. The school-rooms are to be fitted in the most approved style, including desks and benches after the National Society’s pattern. The three large classrooms have fire-places. The lavatories have water supply and complete fittings. All the school and class-rooms are lined round inside, about shoulder height, with cream-coloured glazed tiles, which look neat and can easily be cleaned, besides which the children cannot scribble upon them. The porches and lavatories are to be laid with black and red tiles in patterns. Externally the whole of the walls are of stone from Yorkshire and Staffordshire. Though the plan is of simple outline, the roofs are so treated as to present an effective and picturesque appearance from either of the two approaches. One great roof runs from the extreme north to the south of the building, about 10 feet higher than the others. Upon this stands the open-timbered belfry, rising to a height of 54 feet from the ground. The roofs are all relieved by dormers, which act as the ventilators of the several rooms and also improve the appearance of the roofs. The principal front, towards Carrington Road, has a large gable containing a traceried rose window nearly three yards in diameter. Below it are two three-light windows. Further to the east is a smaller gable containing the boys’ door, and a square traceried window placed diamond-wise. The other windows in this elevation are of a simple school-like character. The elevation of next importance is that towards Great Portwood Street, in which are two good traceried windows and other simpler ones. On this side, too, is the porch to the girls’ school, the outer door of which has a timber-framed gable, supported by stone corbels. The architectural style is Gothic of the 14th century and the church close at han is a good specimen of modern perpendicular. Accommodation is provided for 450 children, according to Government rules, but more than double that number may assemble as a Sunday school, without inconvenience. The contract has been taken for ,2,195 by Mr W H Brown, builder, of Stockport. The architects are Messrs Medland and Henry Taylor, of Manchester. [Manchester Guardian 9 April 1868 page 6].
STOCKPORT - The foundation-stone of St. Paul’s New Schools, Portwood, was to be laid on Wednesday. The schools are to accommodate 500 children. They are to be fitted with separate lavatories for boys and girls, and to be warmed with Haden’s heating apparatus. The architect is Mr. Medland Taylor, of Manchester, and Mr. W. H. Brown is the contractor. [Builder 25 April 1868 page 304]
Reference Manchester Guardian 9 April 1868 page 6
Reference Building News 19 June 1868 page 426 – tenders
Reference Builder 25 April 1868 page 304