Hugar Road, High Spen Primary School

A single storey Victorian school building for Chopwell School Board, it largely retains its original materials. It is constructed of red brick with moulded stone dressings. The slate roof has multiple gables to the principal (eastern) elevation, with 2 larger projecting gables at each terminus, decorative stone water tabling with kneelers and a tall brick chimney. The large, multipane windows are casements with top and bottom lights opening inwards in cast iron supporting frames. In the projecting gables these are arch-headed in brick with a narrow stone cornice above, but in the minor gables a double-course header arch surmounts the moulded stone lintels. Below the windows are moulded stone sills, and between them are brick buttresses with stone capping, a low-level string course and a dado level moulded course. The stone plinth walls to the front largely survive, with historically interesting gate piers (incised with ‘girls’ and ‘boys’) containing gates with shepherds crook detailing, although the railings are now missing. Its importance lies both in its architectural contribution (especially the windows and roof arrangement) and (as it has served the educational needs of the population consistently since it was built) its historic function. MATERIALS Red brick, stone, timber, cast iron ARCHITECT J Oswald & Son, Newcastle DATES 1894 (plans 1893) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION It was used as an emergency rest centre during WWII. LOCAL LIST