Description

CREWKERNE

ST4309 ABBEY STREET
876-1/6/18 (South side)
12/06/50 Parish Church Hall (Old Grammar
School)

GV II

Grammar School, now parish hall. 1636, much restored and
extended 1830-1860.
MATERIALS: coursed limestone rubble with Ham Hill stone
plinth, porch, dressings, stepped stone coping and stacks and
lower 3 courses to the left half of the slate roof.
PLAN: rectangular plan with rear stair turret and right-hand
C19 extension.
EXTERIOR: the tall left half is single-storey; symmetrical
4-window range. The right half, of the same height, is 2
storeys including a half dormer; 2-window range. All the main
windows to the front have labelmoulds; the gutters are
supported by wrought-iron brackets. The left half, slightly
longer than that to the right, has 4 tall 4-light stone
mullioned and transomed leaded windows, probably C19, which
break through the continuous string course which follows round
the left return. Steps lead up both sides of the projecting
gabled porch which has Tudor-arched openings to sides and
front; it has a stone roof, moulded coping and obelisk finials
to the kneelers and apex. Worn C19 carving in the gable end
bears the date 1499.
The right end has 4-light stone mullioned windows to the
centre of both floors, that in the half dormer is below a
slated gable with plain stone coping and a smaller finial than
those to the right.
To the left of this half, steps lead up to a Tudor-arched
planked door directly under a 2-light window without a
hoodmould; a similar one-light window is above, under the
eaves.
The rear of the left half has a 2-storey gable with similar
details to the porch and C17 stone-mullioned windows; the rear
of the right half is C20.
INTERIOR: late C19 staircase and tongued and grooved
panelling, C20 to the rest except for early C18 square raised
and fielded dado panelling to the left end. This is higher
than the floor, which has been lowered, and has much graffitti
with dates in the early and mid C19.
HISTORY: The Grammar School was founded in 1499 by John
DeCombe, precentor of The Cathedral Church of Exeter. In 1577
trustees included "6 of the most discreetest men in town" and
from the early C17 they gave the town financial support, lent
money during the plague, gave to the poor, advanced cash to
buy fire buckets and in 1626 contributed substantially when
the bridewell was converted to a workhouse and a cage and a
pillory installed.
(Victoria County History: Somerset: Oxford: 1978-: P.8).

Listing NGR: ST4395309849

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26503125

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)