Description

SP 9433-9533 WOBURN BEDFORD STREET
8/99
22.10.52 Woburn Lower School (formerly listed
as The old Infants School)
GV II
School. Free School Charity founded and school built 1582, by Francis Earl
of Bedford. Reworked c.1830 by Edward Blore. Some late C19 reworking.
Coursed ironstone with ashlar dressings. Clay tile roof. Substantial
rectangular structure, formerly of 2 storeys and attics. First floor removed.
S elevation: ground and first floors each have 2 4-light stone-mullioned
windows. Attic has 4 gabled dormers (reworkings by Blore) with 2-light
mullioned windows. These have moulded surrounds with drop finials, their
gables with moulded bargeboards and finials. All windows have leaded lights.
To RH is late C19 gabled porch with 4-centred-arched doorway surmounted by
carved panel showing Bedford crest. To centre is late C19 integral chimney
stack surmounted by pair of octagonal red brick shafts with moulded bases and
caps. This replaces central mullioned window to ground and first floors,
similar to outer ones. Original gable end and ridge stacks removed. Moulded
stone coping to both gables and to porch. W gable end: first floor has 2 3-
light mullioned windows, attic has small blocked 2-light mullioned window. E
gable end: first floor has 3-light mullioned window, attic has blocked 2-
light mullioned window. Adjoining to-ground floor and projecting to road is
small gabled block by Blore. Possibly built as a bier house serving the
Church, used as a fire station late 1860's to late 1930's, later became part
of school. Road frontage has central gable containing 4-centred arch with
double doors, surmounted by image in niche flanked by 2 panels containing
shields. Flanking this are 2 short stretches of ironstone wall with ashlar
dressings. LH part contains one plank door in moulded square-headed surround,
and terminates in a pier with cusped recessed panel, moulded cornice and
pyramidal cap. RH part contains similar doorway and a later one to RH.
Interior: N wall has 2 late doorways at ends, above which are 2 early
fireplaces with moulded 4-centred-arched heads. J D Parry, History and
Description of Woburn and its Abbey, 1831; Bedfordshire Record Office: CRT 130
Woburn 8, notes on the Free School Charity 1582 - 1875; CRT 130 Woburn 12, an
Account of Woburn Free School and later schools.

Listing NGR: SP9486233246

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26607575

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.

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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)