Description

ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA

SP3166NE BINSWOOD AVENUE
1208-1/3/68 (North side)
25/03/70 Binswood Hall, North Leamington
School
(Formerly Listed as:
BINSWOOD AVENUE
(North side)
Leamington College)

GV II*

School. 1847-8 by DG Squirhill of Leamington, with later
additions and alterations including chapel to rear of c1867
with stained glass in the apse by Holland of 1858, and
gymnasium of 1893. Pinkish-red brick with purple brick and
ashlar dressings, with Welsh slate and lead roofs.
STYLE: Tudor Revival.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 9 bays with basement to left and further
entrance range to left, 3 extensions to rear.
Main range: to centre 7 bays a single-storey arcade projects,
to second and eighth bays are tall, octagonal turrets, then
outer gable-ended bays. Chamfered plinth, continuous moulded
sill band. Off-set buttresses between bays have pinnacles.
Diaper pattern brickwork to facade.
Ground floor. Central entrance projects: 4 steps to 4-centre
arched double doors with linen-fold panelling and traceried
decoration to head, in 4-centre-arched surround with
roll-moulding and with quatrefoil decoration in the spandrels;
hoodmould has face stops of Sir Francis Bacon and Sir Thomas
More; angle buttresses, upshot with the Jephson arms. Arcade
has buttresses and battlements; four 3-cusped-light windows in
straight-headed, quoined surrounds; band. Turrets have single
lights.
Outer bays have 4-cinquefoil-light windows with
straight-headed surrounds; blind arcades above with coats of
arms of benefactors, the Willes, Wise, and Fontayne-Wilson
families.
First floor: centre range has tall, 6-light windows in two
stages with perpendicular-type tracery to heads and continuous
hoodmould; turrets have lancet lights in double-chamfered
surrounds and continuous hoodmoulds to 3 sides; outer bays
have 4-light windows with perpendicular-type tracery to heads
in straight-headed surrounds, outer bays have continuous
quoined surround through ground and first floors. Battlements
to centre range, ogeed tent roofs to turrets, and to end bays
are pointed gables with carved plaques. Chamfered copings.

Range to left has entrance, glazed doors in chamfered surround
with hoodmould; first floor has casement window, copings to
gable.
To rear: chapel of 2 storeys, 5 bays and apse. Ground floor
has casement windows with double-chamfered, 4-centre-arched
surrounds; apse has blind arcade of pointed arches with
inserted casements. Buttresses between bays support
first-floor projection.
First floor: 3 centre bays have 3-light windows with transoms
and perpendicular-type tracery to heads in 4-centred,
roll-moulded surrounds; end bay has lancet window, otherwise
blind; apse has 2-cusped-light, pointed windows in
roll-moulded surrounds.
INTERIOR: main range has narrow openwell staircase with
alternately turned and stick balusters and wreathed handrail.
Main hall: approximately 30m x 10m; roof has 6 bays of richly
carved beams on corbels; dado with linenfold panelling;
continuous cornice, cambered-arched openings to 'cloisters', 3
pointed-arched openings with head-stops (representing
Wycliffe, Harvey, Newton and Chaucer) and quatrefoils to
spandrels.
First floor: former original chapel to left has moulded
cornice, dado rail and 3 arches (2 blocked) on columns. Added
former chapel to rear has gallery blind tracery to balcony,
roll-moulded surrounds to windows, 4-centred hollow-moulded
arch to apse with column shafts and brattished capitals;
pointed-arched, double doors have linenfold panelling.
HISTORICAL NOTE: in 1844 a company was formed to establish a
college, larger premises were needed by 1846 the foundation
stone of this building was laid on 7 April 1847 by Dr Jephson,
opened 1 August 1848. From 1903-1916 it was occupied by the
Society of the Sacred Heart, a French Catholic convent school.
During the rest of the First World War it was occupied by
Dover College, and then once more (1922) Leamington College.
Distinguished old boys include Lytton Strachey, the poet DJ
Enfield, Sir Frank Whittle (inventor of the jet engine), and
international rugby player, Keith Savage.
(Leamington College 1902-1977: 1977-: 11-12; The Buildings of
England: Pevsner N and Wedgwood A: Warwickshire:
Harmondsworth: 1966-1990: 335).

Listing NGR: SP3164466587

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17552554

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

• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version