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Name of school Photo reference District School (known as MATL1-16 Barningham United District Board School) Closed now private house Grid Reference TG14293470 Is the building listed? No School Address The Old School House Matlaske Gap (crossroads between parishes of Matlaske and Plumstead)

L-plan 1870s school, enlarged 1912 with school house, closed 1964 and now in domestic use.

Photograph Photograph

General view of house and school from front School from rear

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Gable end of school Closer view of front showing tall school window

Detail of school house

Side view (house to the right), with offices in foreground

Infant room

Detail of inscription

Document references

3 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Building plans in NRO C/ED 143/44

Building plans in - other Sale particulars in - NRO Sale particulars in Pointens estate agent website (2010)for Old School House and other annexe (see appendix) Log books in NRO C/ED2 122-124 (1865-1983)

Log books in school -

Photographs in NRO Other docs in NRO C/ED 3/13-15 Board minutes; Acc2009/304(1903 survey) ; C/ED 143/44 (1948 plans) Photographs in other - Other doc.sources

Directory entry White’s Directory 1883 p.413 School built 1876 at a cost of (1920s or nearest date) £1400 for 120 children Kelly’s Directory 1925 p.269 Public Elementary school for Barningham united district, opened 1876 & enlarged 1912; includes residence for master and will hold 142 NCC Ed.Com Development Plan 1947 p.57 39 pupils 5-14; closure 1953/4 Date of construction 1875-1876 (original school, now cottage No 2 and teachers house now Old School House) Architects (if known) William Chapman of Hanworth (designed and built) (Original architect T Jeckyll resigned ill) Position within parish West of village on high piece of land surrounded by three lanes at back of estate, from whom site acquired Catchment area in 1940s Originally Matlaske, Plumstead, Barningham Winter (Town). Lt Barningham [Nth Barningham was under Gresham]

Plan – describe or include scan

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NRO Acc 2009/304

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NRO C/ED 143-4 1948

How many storeys Two

How many rooms By 1903 two (L-shaped)

Present use Private houses (Nos 1-3)

Name of present owner nk

Condition (1 =derelict – 5 = good) 5

Is there a teacher’s house Large house at southern end, now No 1 associated with school? Give some idea of date, size and style

Building Features Windows: number, position, size, no of High windows on gable end northern and lights, style (sash, leaded, etc) centre front. Dormers added? later 6 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Chimneys: number, style Now four; central one decorative

Ventilators: number, position Two visible on gable ends, one quatrefoil on main front gable Doors: number, position, inscription over - (Boys – Girls) style Porches: number, position, inscription etc Now two; teachers house (No 1) and at side (No 3) Bell towers/clock and other ornamentation Bell hangs at rear of No1 see MATL7

Weather vane not extant may been on ventilation ‘turret’ (see notes)

Overall style Gothic/ecclesiastical (pointed windows and see below; inset chequer work brick panels doors in arches over windows Classical/Georgian (triangular pediments, Mixed ‘Arts and Crafts’ Board, some sash windows) pediment; dog-tooth denticulated eaves Tudor/flat headed windows with drip moulding, ornate chimneys Plain and functional with no ornamentation

Inscriptions, coats of arms etc

Terracotta datestone 1876

Building materials Roof-note decorative features (coloured Tiles in patterns; half-hipped gable and fancy tiles Walls-note decorative work (flint work, Brick, herringbone and extra courses over diaper bricks etc) windows

For architectural terminology, see the glossary in Pevsner

Internal (room by room) materials and features such as: Panelled walls -

Fire places/heating appliances --

7 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Plaster/modern ceilings, open to roof -

Original cupboards -

Room divisions/folding doors -

Permanent art work -

Building sequence 1875-1876 Opened 11 Sept 1876 Enlarged 1912 – the cloakrooms along side of main school room as shown on recent plan) Closed 1964 (wikipedia)

Playground Size (approx) Presumably originally in front (now small garden). Lanes on three sides. Type (tarmac enclosure, field – nature garden, climbing frames, games painted on Some low walls, green railings and brick ground gate pillars may be from school days Boundary –original brick, iron fencing etc. Buildings – out houses, mobiles, ‘offices’ Offices along road

Include here any additional material (scans of sketch plans, old photographs, oral evidence, etc, précis of school history

The Board met (at Mr Leeder’s Matlaske house) from August 1874 and in October Mr J T Mott (the chairman) was thanked ‘for his kindness in the matter of the school site’ at Matlaske Gap. (JT Mott and SS Mott retained rights to use school for Sunday school and weekday religious and philanthropic purposes). A plan had been sent to the Education Dept two years before. In Nov 1874 T Jeckyll [probably Thomas Jeckyll of ] was asked to draw up plans and spec for school for 121 children. In Dec the Board suggested the teacher’s house be joined to the school to save money. Jeckyll resigned in Feb 1875 due to illness and W Chapman of Hanworth was asked to draw plans and specs of which the block plan was agreed in March. The Board asked for a different form of chimney, open-timbered roof; cement stucco 4’ 6” high from the floor line; red brick lining of walls above the stucco to wall plate, with a band of white bricks consisting of two courses; Staffordshire tiles for the roofs and the plans were submitted in April 1875. Of the four local tenders received, Robert Bartram (of Aylsham) was chosen at £1260. He pulled out because he was required to give two sureties (he had never been asked to do this before!). In July 1875 Chapman’s new tender of £1325 (previously £1364) was accepted on condition that the kiln bricks be put in all projecting courses and chimneys be entirely of kiln bricks. Total of £1400 borrowed. Robinson Cornish was Clerk of Works. Feb 1876 The Chairman of Board, John Thomas Mott (of Barningham Hall) offered £1 to ‘for a more ornamental’ design of ‘the vane for the top of the Turret’ than the one contemplated. During this period the children from Town Barningham, Plumstead and Matlaske went to and Lt Barningham to Saxthorpe school (under Agricultural Children Act 1873, in force June 1875). May 1876 Alfred and Mrs Nixon of Derby appted as Master and 8 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Mistress at £90 pa plus coals for the school house guaranteed for 2 years (Nixon had declined first offer as too low. Opening was delayed two months to 11 September 1876. Alfred wrote asking for a monitor to assist ‘as the children are so very backward’ There were two divisions in some of 6 Standards and he found it ‘impossible to do justice to the scholars’. His wife, the Infants teacher took two classes as well and ‘the work is beginning to tell on her naturally delicate constitution’. Sophia Temple was taken on but in Oct 1878 a new Master and Mistress were required. Walter Wilkinson and his wife, from Kidderminster, appointed in Dec 1878 and left in Dec 1899. By 1881, a temporary arrangement for children to attend was in place and was still in force in 1886. In Oct 1886 some of Matlaske (Barningham) children were sent to Baconsthorpe. In July 1888 the assistant mistress Miss Jessie Garroway left for Thwaite National School. From 1900-1924 Thomas Henry Woods and wife ran school. Log book very explicit about low standards of children. For 15 months in 1921 he taught 81 pupils ‘unassisted’. Some ‘structural alterations’ made in 1912. In October 1920 he closed school for trip to travelling circus at Aldborough: 3 staff took 84 children. Only 56 out of 108 had ever seen a circus and only half had been on a train. Some were not allowed to go for religious reasons. Every June the school closed for 2 days for Aldborough fair (from 1954 replaced by 2 days for Royal Norfolk Show). In March 1924 ‘Interior of school room is troubled by rats. They are attacking the [rotting] doors’. 1933 Pump for drinking water failed (water fetched from ¼ mile away) Complete replacement of pump and supports in 60’ well.

‘It seems strange the school was never closed or moved away from the airfield’ [built nearby in 2 nd WW] Richard C Gray of Winter Barningham, BBC WW2peopleswar website

In April 1940 noted that ‘20 children cycle more than 1 ½ miles to school’ From 1945 (Dev Plan) proposed closure 1953/4. In 1947 Cycle shed provided. Sept 1948 Electricity and water supply plan Aug 1948 Plan of school and house (see MATL13-16) made for bathroom in house 1951 bathroom added to school house In 1952 there were 64 on roll; the midday meal was taken in two sittings in converted Army hut a short distance from school. Connected to water main 1955 Closed 18 th Dec 1964.

Date of survey 10 Oct 2010 external photos only

Name(s) of surveyor(s) Maggie Vaughan-Lewis

Appendix : Pointens website November 2010

The Property Old School House forms part of the original Victorian school in Matlaske. Situated in an elevated location, the property enjoys uninterrupted panoramic views over the surrounding farmland. On a clear day you are able to see seven different church spires. Also situated within the grounds of the 9 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY property is a good size self contained two bedroom annexe. The main house briefly comprises an entrance hall, a double aspect sitting room with an open fireplace, a good size kitchen/diner with a range of fitted base units and a Rayburn and a rear hall leads to a wonderfully spacious and light garden room which overlooks the rear courtyard. Upstairs, the master bedroom has en suite facilities, a dressing room and store room and there is a second bedroom and bathroom. The property has the benefit of period features and oil fired central heating. Directly behind the property is the detached annexe which offers a double aspect sitting room/kitchenette, an inner hall leading to two bedrooms and a shower room. The annexe also has an independent oil fired boiler for central heating and domestic hot water. Outside, the property is approached through double wrought iron gates leading to a parking area. To the front and side of the property are enclosed lawned gardens with inset fruit trees and directly behind the house is a terrace with a pond. To the rear of the house and annexe is a further lawned garden. Location Matlaske is a small rural village, situated approximately 21 miles from Norwich, 9 miles south west of , 7 miles from the market town of Aylsham and the Georgian town of Holt is around 5 miles away. .... Accommodation Entrance Canopy Front door, leading to – Entrance Hall Pin tiled floor, period coat pegs, telephone point, radiator, staircase to first floor. Sitting Room (13’2 x 12’6, double aspect) Red brick open fireplace, picture rail, polished wooden floorboards. Kitchen/diner (20’3 x 13’, double aspect) Fitted range of base units with wooden working surfaces over, inset Butler sink, fitted Rayburn, two wall units, fitted shelving, radiator, pamment floor, electric cooker point. Cloakroom Wc, washbasin. Rear Hall Plumbing for automatic washing machine, radiator, pamment floor, shelving. Garden Room (20’9 x 14’8) Sandstone tiled floor, single and double doors leading to the garden, two radiators. First Floor Landing Double aspect, leading to – Bedroom One (16’8 x 12’6, double aspect) Radiator, airing cupboard with factory lagged tank and fitted shelving. En suite bathroom Deep panelled bath, wc, bidet, washbasin, radiator. Dressing Room (9’ x 5’7) Door to -Store Room (9’6 x 5’6) Fitted shelving, radiator.