Former village school and school master's house, The Green, Mentmore

Building

Roofed and walled permanent structures.

Asset type

Mid-nineteenth century village school and a school master's house and now a house. Significance: Part of one of the communal village buildings, with a philanthropic origin; an educational building which has an ornamental role in this part of the estate village, survives largely intact. Issues: Stone parapets may have been removed on reroofing (new brick to verges). The front setting is divided by a hedge so that the building is not seen as a whole with the extension.

Age

Mid-nineteenth century village school built in 1860s, extended after 1879 as a school master's house and now a house. Incorporating earlier chapel (1840s);

Architectural and Artistic Interest

White brick with stone dressings and parapet verges. Front porch to chapel with diagonal buttresses. Tudor style arch to front door. Rooms to either side under leanto roofs. Slate roof. Extended to SE for school house in white gault brick. Casement windows with small square panes under simple segmental heads. Former chapel bell probably housed in bellcote above buttress in centre of rear main gable. School master's house: Former school extension, converted to residential use. White brick in English Bond. HR monogram (undated) under Earl’s coronet (i.e. Rosebery). Windows on main N gable stacked under segmental head with red bricks as ‘keystone’ Stone parapets survive on gables. To rear: windows in square stone surrounds with central mullion.

Group Value

School and school master's house form a group

Historic Interest

Intended to be a new building in Tudor style with a schoolmaster's house and a central entrance under a bell cote, most likely designed by Stokes. Instead the Baptist chapel on site was used in 1862 presumably as the schoolroom, the headmaster's house being added probably added at a similar date on the east side with the playground on the opposite side. The school was extended in matching style for the Roseberys.

10 Jan 2023

31 Jan 2024

Find out more about this Asset in Buckinghamshire's Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/buckinghamshire/asset/4571