Listed Building record MDR11221 - Swanwick Hall School, Swanwick Hill, Swanwick

Swanwick Hall School, Swanwick Hill, Swanwick, a mid 18th century building. Very large extensions to Grade 2 listed, late 18th century, small country house. All listed by attachment and curtilage. (1) Swanwick Hall Grammar School. The hall is mid-18th century, three storeys, three bays, stone doorcase with pediment on Tuscan columns. Lower 19th century wings. At the back is a 1930s school building by G H Widdows (then County Architect), who combined red brick with steeply pitched tiled roofs and wooden verandas. Further extensions by F Hamer Crossley (County Architect), completed in 1959. (2) Hugh Wood, owner of the estate at Swanwick in the later 18th century, had a new house built in 1771-2, the earlier one having been closer to the church; this new house 'can confidently be attributed' to Pickford. It was known as the Hall after 1812, and was a gentleman's villa rather than a seat. It is constructed of brick, two and a half storeys high, and of three by three bays, facing south. Stone dressings are kept to the minimum, being limited only to the typically Pickfordian bracket modillion cornice and the pedimented Tuscan doorcase. In the early 19th century the Woods added a two-storey wing to the west. Further, more extensive, alterations were made in 1891 which included the construction of a squarish ashlar porch to the north, a service wing to the east and a conservatory. In addition the roof was raised to provide a flag room with louvred lights around it. In 1899 the Woods migrated to Canada and the house went through several different hands before becoming a school in 1920. The county architect, G H Widdows, created an attractive north courtyard in brick, incorporating new classroom accommodation, but later additions of 1959 by F H Crossley are less harmonious. The building was part of an appraisal carried out in 2012. (4) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 45 Sli SWANWICK DERBY ROAD (east side) 4/116 Swanwick Hall School 13.7.66 GV II House, now school. Mid C18 with late C19 additions and alterations, converted to school and extended by G Widdows in 1930's, also with 1959 additions. Red brick with stone and gauged brick dressings, slate and plain tile roofs. C18 part of three storeys and three bays flanked by recessed late C19 3 bay wing to right and 2 bay wing to left; to rear of each wing there are 1930's classroom ranges with linking corridor to north forming rear courtyard. C18 house has stone plinth and steps up to central pedimented stone Tuscan doorcase with pulvinated frieze and half glazed door. To either side there are 12 pane sashes and above there are three 9 pane sashes. Above again three smaller 9 pane sashes. All windows below flat gauged brick arches. Dentilled stone cornice and hipped slate roof with central square lantern, also topped by hipped roof. Capped brick side wall stacks. Wing to right has wide doorcase to left with panelled door flanked by side lights below flat gauged brick arch with stone keyblock and bracketed stone hood. To right is a sash in pilastered stone surround supporting oriel window above, a moulded oval window with keystoned surround and a shell headed niche in pilastered surround also supporting oriel window above. Two canted stone oriels have sashes to each side, to left over the doorcase is a semi-circular headed fixed small pane window below flat brick arch. All sashes to this wing have glazing bars to upper sash and plain lower sashes. Continuous first floor and sill stringcourses moulded stone cornice and ramped brick parapets above. Left wing has large canted ground floor bay with balustrade parapet, full height C20 windows to each side. Two C20 windows below flat brick arches above, moulded stone cornice and brick parapets over. Slate roofs to both wings, right wing with hipped roof, both with brick stacks. Left wing dated 1891. Rear elevation of C18 house has sashes below flat brick arches and central stone porch with pedimented doorcase. Widdows classroom extensions have central tall semi-circular archways through the wings, flanked by narrow ramped walls and classrooms to either side with open timber arcaded corridors to front, small paned windows and hipped plain tile roofs. Interior of original hall has late C19 cantilevered open well staircase with twisted and straight metal balusters, wreathed and ramped handrail and stone steps. Original C18 cornices and doors throughout. George Widdows was the County Architect in the early years of this century and pioneered healthier designs for school buildings, introducing extra ventilation and verandah corridors. Listing NGR: SK4061853099.' (5)