Trinity Church Schools Stacksteads

BUILDERS and others desirous of TENDERING for the Whole, or any the Several Works required in the ERECTION of SCHOOLS and CLASSROOMS for 700 children, at Stacksteads, are requested to send in their applications for quantities to the undersigned, on or before Monday, the 24th inst. Sealed tenders to be delivered to the Rev J. G. Hawerth. Trinity Vicarage, Stacksteads, who will not necessarily accept the lowest or any other. LAWRENCE BOOTH, Architect. 88, King-street, Manchester, May 7th, 1880 [Manchester Courier 8 May 1880 page 3]

On Saturday afternoon two comer‑stones were laid of the new Trinity Church schools, Rossendale. The schools are being built from the designs of Mr. L. Booth, architect, of Manchester, and will accommodate about 700 children. The warming and ventilating will be by means of the patent Manchester grates.  [Building News 3 December 1880 p643]

TRINITY CHURCH SCHOOLS, STACKSTEADS – These schools are intended to supersede those at present in use, which latter having been built many years ago, are too small and in other respects deficient in the arrangements and appliances which have now come to be considered essential to a well-regulated modern school. The new building has been designed by and is being erected and completed under the supervision of an architect well versed in such subjects, and it is confidently expected that when finished it will be in no way inferior to the best of our modern board schools. It is intended to accommodate 700 children, 250 boys, 250 girls, and 200 infants, besides providing room for congregational purposes and other accessories, and will cost £3,400, exclusive of such articles of furniture, as benches, desks, and cupboards, but inclusive of all other necessary fittings, such as grates and chimney pieces, and the furnishing of lavatories and cloak rooms, with hooks, hook-rails, wash basins, etc. This price, which is less than £5 per scholar, contrasts in a remarkable manner with that of many board schools, both in the neighbourhood and elsewhere, in some of which double that amount has been spent. The following technical description will indicate not only the completeness of the several arrangements, but that economy price has not been the result of any unwise cheeseparing in good sound construction, or of restriction in the extent of anything necessary to the equipment of the structure as a first-class scholastic establishment. Especial attention has been devoted to good sanitary arrangements, and it expected, from the established reputation of the architect as a constructor of hospitals as well as schools, that in this department everything will be of exceptionally good character. The boys' schoolroom is 52 feet long and 30 feet in width, and has two classrooms in connection therewith, each 18 feet by 14 feet 8 inches. The girls' schoolroom equal in area to a room 60 feet by 30 feet, and is arranged so as to form a connection with that of the boys, a room cruciform shape for public purposes having area of 3,360 superficial feet and capable of seating 800 persons. There are also two class rooms in connection with this schoolroom similar in size to those adjoining the boys' schoolroom The infants schoolroom is 40 feet by 30 feet and has classroom attached thereto 18 feet 4 inches by 18 feet. In connection with the several departments there are separate cloakrooms and lavatories—the two largest, averaging each 16 feet 9 inches by 14 feet, and rising from the porch vestibule of the boys' entrance there is a clock tower of substantial character surmounted by bell turret. At one side of the girls' schoolroom there is a raised platform, and underneath it a store cellar for tables, benches, etc. Advantage has been taken of a considerable variation in the levels of the site, which in other respects have added to the cost of the building, to obtain a room 30 feet by 18 feet for congregational meetings. This will be approached directly from the main street, and the floor of it will be few inches above the level thereof. There are also in what may be called the basement storey, a kitchen, and coal cellars, and over the two large lavatories a room fitted up with the appliances incidental tea parties, etc. Inner vestibule doors are provided between schoolroom doorways and the outer doorways of porches, so as to prevent the unpleasantness of cold draughts, and to ensure greater quietude in the schoolrooms. The whole of the building, with the exceptions before mentioned, will be of one storey in height, about 18 feet to the square and ceiled part way up a high pitched roof at about 22 feet to the ceiling line. The roofs will be boarded and covered with Welsh slates in two colours, and the roof principals and other timbers will be of pitch pine, wrought and varnished where visible. The whole of the outside walls will be built of hard hammer-dressed stone coursed as straight jointed Scotch walling with tooled ashlar dressings wrought out of the excellent stone for which the district of Rossendale is noted. The gable windows will be arched and filled with Gothic tracery, and all the window openings will be fitted with sliding sashes made to open to their fullest extent, and these in their relative positions are so arranged aa to give not only abundant light, but the important desideratum of cross ventilation to the several rooms. All the walls will be plastered on the inside, and as protection against rough usage they will have a dado of Portland and cement about four feet in height from the ground floor level upwards, with a moulded wood capping to break the joint between that and the plastering.  An open fire-place is provided in every room, and is intended as the result of previous experience to introduce therein one of Shillito and Shorland's school grates which will not only warm efficiently but also ventilate the several rooms the coldest weather with- opt the necessity of opening windows and thus admitting cold draughts. Extraction shafts and louvre ventilators are also provided for occasional use. The site of the building (which is near the parish church) although very spacious In itself and sufficiently large for an intended teachers' residence, play grounds etc. is somewhat enclosed on nearly every side, but can be conveniently approached from the public thoroughfares. The following is a list of the contractors for the several departments of the work, - drains brickwork, and masonry, Mr. Henry Cowpe, Waterfoot; carpenter and joiner Mr John Plane, Bacup; plastering and painting, Messrs Collinge and Shackleton, Bacup; plumbing and glazing and gas-fitting, Mr Hellewell slating, Mr Whitehead, Stacksteads. The architect is Mr L Booth, King-street, Manchester, who is well-known in connection with several important buildings in this district, and elsewhere, and the works are being executed under his superintendence. [Manchester Courier 30 November 1880 page 6]

Reference    Manchester Courier 8 May 1880 page 3
Reference    Building News 3 December 1880 page 643
Reference    Manchester Courier 30 November 1880 page 6