MSO12121 - Dunster County Primary School (Main School Building), St George's Street, Dunster (Building)

1871, architect J P St Aubyn, with later alterations and additions. Snecked red rubble sandstone with ashlar quoins and dressings. Tiled roofs with 2 ridge chimneys, gables with projecting purlins, moulded bargeboards and footstones in plates. Gable to east has small belfry housed below apex of gable. Large single storey roughly 'Z' plan building. 2:3:2 bays to long sides (east, south and east again), casements in part, stepped and transomed lancet triplets with cusped heads and labels to gables, 2 and 3-light Caernarvon-arch type to side walls. Entrance in catslide extension in angle to south-west. Modern hall building and classroom are not included on this list. [1] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 264716. First Listed on 04/08/1983. [2] The building is situated within Dunster's Conservation Area. [3] The building was the idea of the Rev. TF Luttrell, who supported and taught in the old school, as well as running a night school for boys and young men where they could learn to read. The site was given by Mr George Luttrell, who also contributed to the costs. At the opening of the school in 1872, 130 children marched from their old school through the churchyard to the new schoolroom, preceded by a banner inscribed 'Dunster Church Schools'. [5] The building was visited in April 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [6] The building is depicted on 2018 MasterMap data. It is part of a range of buildings labelled "Dunster First School". [8] The building is mentioned in the 2018 Conservation Area Appraisal for Dunster. [9] The building was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 6. [10]