Bluecoat School, Chester
Encyclopedia
The Blue Coat School is located in Upper Northgate Street, Chester
, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
hospital. In 1700 a charity school was built in the precincts of Chester Cathedral
; it was the first school outside London to be established by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The charity school was moved to the Blue Coat School, which was built in 1717. Almshouse
s were built behind the school. The school was originally an L-shaped building, with its main wing on Upper Northgate Street, and a south wing looking towards Chester city walls
. The south wing contained a chapel, and the main wing the schoolroom and dormitories. In 1733 a north wing was added. A new façade was added to the main wing in 1854, and new almshouses were built. The clock was added the following year. The school closed in 1949, and the buildings were occupied by the Chester College of Higher Education (now part of the University of Chester
). Its name has been incorporated in the title of Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School
.
roof in grey slate
, and is in two storeys. The main block has five bays
, with the entrance bay in the centre; the second and fourth bays are recessed. Between the bays, and on the corners of the building, are rusticated
quoins
. The entrance bay leads to a through passage. The entrance is surrounded by a Tuscan
-style doorcase with a basket arch. Above it is a niche
containing the painted statue of a Blue Coat boy sculpted by Edward Richardson. In the upper storey is a six-pane sash window
, above which is a pediment
containing a circular clock face. The recessed bays contain a basket-arched 19-pane sash window, and each lateral bay has a doorway with pilaster
s, above which is a blank panel. Between the storeys is a stone band. Every bay in the upper storey has a sash window similar to that in the central bay. Centrally on top of the block is an octagonal cupola
with a copper roof. The internal faces of the lateral wings have fenestration similar to that in the main block. Their front faces have basket-arched sash windows, and the north wing has an additional basement window.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building.
History
Before the school was built, it was the site of a medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
hospital. In 1700 a charity school was built in the precincts of Chester Cathedral
Chester Cathedral
Chester Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly St Werburgh's abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
; it was the first school outside London to be established by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The charity school was moved to the Blue Coat School, which was built in 1717. Almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s were built behind the school. The school was originally an L-shaped building, with its main wing on Upper Northgate Street, and a south wing looking towards Chester city walls
Chester city walls
.Chester city walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city of Chester in Cheshire, England. Their construction was started by the Romans when they established the fortress of Deva Victrix between 70 and 80 AD. It originated with a rampart of earth and turf surmounted by a...
. The south wing contained a chapel, and the main wing the schoolroom and dormitories. In 1733 a north wing was added. A new façade was added to the main wing in 1854, and new almshouses were built. The clock was added the following year. The school closed in 1949, and the buildings were occupied by the Chester College of Higher Education (now part of the University of Chester
University of Chester
The University of Chester is a public research university located in Chester, United Kingdom. The University, based on a main campus in Chester and a smaller campus in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.Chester...
). Its name has been incorporated in the title of Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School
Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School
The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School is a secondary school in Chester, United Kingdom. It is an academy and the current Headteacher is Mr Justin Blakebrough.It is also an affiliated school of the Woodard Group of Schools.-School History:...
.
Architecture
The building has a symmetrical U-shaped plan, and is constructed in brick with stone dressings. It has a hippedHip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
roof in grey slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, and is in two storeys. The main block has five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
, with the entrance bay in the centre; the second and fourth bays are recessed. Between the bays, and on the corners of the building, are rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
. The entrance bay leads to a through passage. The entrance is surrounded by a Tuscan
Tuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
-style doorcase with a basket arch. Above it is a niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
containing the painted statue of a Blue Coat boy sculpted by Edward Richardson. In the upper storey is a six-pane sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
, above which is a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
containing a circular clock face. The recessed bays contain a basket-arched 19-pane sash window, and each lateral bay has a doorway with pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s, above which is a blank panel. Between the storeys is a stone band. Every bay in the upper storey has a sash window similar to that in the central bay. Centrally on top of the block is an octagonal cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
with a copper roof. The internal faces of the lateral wings have fenestration similar to that in the main block. Their front faces have basket-arched sash windows, and the north wing has an additional basement window.