1 RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Name of school Photo reference Board School, now Wimbotsham_Primary_School_01-16. Wimbotsham and Stow Community School Grid Reference TF61900510 Is the building listed? no

School Address Chapel Lane Wimbotsham King's Lynn PE34 3QH A large multi-period school, still in use.

Photograph 1 Photograph 2

southeast aspect, new and old buildings southeast aspect, 1894 and 1869 buildings

2 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Photograph 3 Photograph 4

east aspect, 1894 and 1869 buildings southwest aspect, old buildings

Photograph 5 Photograph 6

northeast aspect, date plaque, 1894

northeast aspect, belfry, 1869

3 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY

Photograph 7 Photograph 8

northeast aspect, 1869 building railings northwest aspect, 1869 building and later porch

Photograph 9 Google Maps 2009

northeast aspect, 1894 and 1869 buildings

Document references

Building plans in NRO X

Building plans in X other Sale particulars in X NRO Sale particulars in x other Log books in NRO Minute book C/ED 3/182 March 1872-June 1888, C/ED 3/182 July 1888-November 1897, C/ED 3/183 July 1888-November 1897, C/ED 3/184 December 1902-July 1908, C/ED 3/185 March 1877-May 1888, C/ED 3/186 May 1888-November 1902. Log books in school x

4 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Photographs in NRO X Other docs in NRO Acc 2009/304 (1903 survey) p.448 Photographs in other x

Directory entry White 1883 p794 (1920s or nearest date) The school is in Stow Bardolph Urban District School Board district and is attended by 170 children. Kelly 1896 This parish is in the United School Board district of Stow Bardolph, formed 10 March, 1877. Board School (mixed), erected in 1869, & enlarged in 1895, for 250 children; average attendance, 120; Wm. H. Turner, master; Mrs M.R. Turner, infants' mistress. Kelly 1908 Public Elementary School(mixed), erected in 1869 & enlarged in 1895, for 250 children; average attendance 130; woodwork handicraft is taught throughout the school, William H.Turner, master; Miss Emma Ward, infants' mistress Kelly 1908 p.531 Public Elementary School (mixed), erected in 1869 & enlarged in 1895, for 250 children; average attendance, 130; woodwork handicraft is taught throughout the school; William H. Turner, master; Miss Emma Ward, infants' mistress. Kelly 1916 p.534-5 Public Elementary School (mixed), erected in 1869, enlarged in 1895 & further enlarged in 1912, for 200 children; practical woodwork is taught to the boys from 5 years of age upwards; & to girls coiled basketry, which embraces pattern drafting in coloured cane & raffia, & is carried on during the construction or modelling of numerous shapes of useful as well as ornamental articles in basketry. Staff: William Henry Turner, head master; Misses Snelling, Davies & Duffield, assistants in mixed room; Misses Ward & Calaby, infants' room. NCC Ed.Com. Development Plan 1947 p.577 65 children 5-14 closure 1956/7

Date of construction 1869, 1894, 1912 and later.

Architects (if known) x

Position within parish Central to Wimbotsham parish and village.

Catchment area in 1940s The villages of Wimbotsham and Stow Bardolph and surrounding agricultural area. The fen area of Stow Bardolph parish was served by Stowbridge school.

Plan – describe or include scan

5 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY

NRO Acc 2009/304 p.448 (1903 survey)

6 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY

A large classroom built 1869 runs southeast from the main road with a small classroom at the northwest corner and two porches to the west. In 1894 a southeast wing containing a girls and infants cloakroom, an additional porch and an infants room with gallery was constructed. There are extensions to the southwest from the infants room and further extensions to the west. A flat-roofed porch occupies the northwest angle. There is a small internal courtyard.

7 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY

How many storeys One

How many rooms Two in 1869, two more by 1895, then at least six more. Present use School

Name of present owner Norfolk Education Authority

Condition (1 =derelict – 5 = good) 5

Is there a teacher’s house No. associated with school? Give some idea of date, size and style

Building Features Windows: number, position, size, no of Numerous two and three-light windows with lights, style (sash, leaded, etc) top-hinged sections. Chimneys: number, style None remain.

Ventilators: number, position One on the mid-ridge of a later extension. Vertical slits at the tops of the two large east facing gables. Doors: number, position, inscription over Doors into porches on the northwest side of (Boys – Girls) style the original building. Large door with window and gable above into the later extension's east facade. Porches: number, position, inscription etc One to the northwest, originally two more on the northwest facade of the main classroom and one on the northwest facade of the infants extensions. Bell towers/clock and other ornamentation Belfry with bell, dated 1869 on original gable to street.

Overall style Gothic/ecclesiastical (pointed windows and X doors Classical/Georgian (triangular pediments, X sash windows) Tudor/flat headed windows with drip x moulding, ornate chimneys Plain and functional with no ornamentation Fairly plain

Inscriptions, coats of arms etc Date plaque 1894 on northeast facade of infants’ building.

8 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Building materials Roof-note decorative features (coloured Red pantiles with simple red ridge tiles. and fancy tiles Walls-note decorative work (flint work, The 1869 building is of a brownish gault diaper bricks etc) brick, red brick dentilation to some eaves, red brick voussoirs. Stone belfry over brick plinth. The 1895 building is of white gault brick with red dentilation to the eaves, having red brick voussoirs and linking decoration, and red brick string courses at sill level and near the top of the gable. The gable windows have shallow arched tops. The southerly extension is similar but the windows are flat-topped.

For architectural terminology, see the glossary in Pevsner

Internal (room by room) materials and features such as: Panelled walls Interior not seen

Fire places/heating appliances X

Plaster/modern ceilings, open to roof X

Original cupboards X

Room divisions/folding doors X

Permanent art work x

Building sequence See comments on the plan.

Playground Boundary Modern boundary fence Marked by railings, stone wall or other including gates leading into Size (approx) large

Type (tarmac enclosure, field – nature Tarmac and lawn garden, climbing frames, games painted on ground Buildings – out houses, mobiles, ‘offices’ x

9 NORFOLK RURAL SCHOOLS SURVEY Include here any additional material (scans of sketch plans, old photographs, oral evidence, etc, précis of school history

"West Norfolk Living Histories Portrait of a Village Wimbotsham", held at the King's Lynn Arts Centre, includes anecdotal information about the school.

Postcard circa 1910

The school now serves Wimbotsham Stow Bardolph and following the closure of Stowbridge school, the village of Stowbridge and the extensive Stow Bardolph fen area, as well as some northern outskirts of .

Date of survey March 2010

Name(s) of surveyor(s) A.R. Forrest