Lancashire

Lancashire

New Industrial Schools at Kirkdale

The additional Industrial Schools buildings at Kirkdale, in connexion with that department of the Liverpool Parochial Vestry, and which have been rendered necessary in consequence of the over-crowded state of the existing schools, have just been completed, and will shortly be opened.

The new buildings, which are quite distinct from the old schools, have been erected from designs by Messr Picton & Son of Liverpool, architects.They stand on high ground, in the immediate vicinity of the county prison. The style adopted is Gothic. The principal elevation, which faces the south, is 357 ft in length and 40 ft in height to the battlements, and consists of three stories. In the centre is a tower, which rises 68 ft above the battlements. Beneath this, and over the main central entrance, is a large ornamental oriel window, below which again there is a prominent three-light window. At each side of the main entrance there are two carved figures in stone representing Charity and Mercy. At the east and west ends of the building respectively there are pavilion roofs, which rise to a considerable height. The east and west elevations of the buildings are uniform in design, with the south front, the school-room dining and play rooms, having mullion chancel windows. The rear of the building forms a large quadrangle, there being, in addition to the east and west wings, what may be termed a centre wing, containing school rooms, play rooms, and dormitories, uniform with the other portions of the building. The main south entrance leads to a corridor 7 ft. in width, which runs the entire length of the building, from which, in the front part, on the ground floor, are approached the several day-rooms, teachers' rooms, offices, and other rooms in the master's department. From the opposite side of the corridor, in the centre, a play room is entered, 73 ft in length, by 30 ft. in width, with an additional play-shed beyond it, 75 ft by 30 ft. The principal school-room is in the east wing of the building, and is 83 ft long by 30 ft. wide and 36 ft in height; whilst the dining room, which is in the west wing, is 80 ft.long by 30 ft. wide and is uniform in height with the school- room. Two staircases, one at the east and the other at the west end, lead from the ground floor to the first floor, along which there is a corridor exactly uniform with that already described. The whole of the first floor is divided into dormitories of uniform size, for the use of the officials of the establishment as well as the inmates. The upper story is approached by a staircase similar in size to the one beneath it, and a uniform corridor leads to three large dormitories similar in size to the large school-room, dining-room and play-room on the ground floor, in addition to which there are also a number of smaller dormitories.

With the view of promoting ventilation there are iron gratings on each side of the entire length of the two upper corridors, by which a constant current of air is kept up from the ground floor, whilst for the entire ventilation and warming of the building throughout apparatus and machinery have been fitted up in the basement, under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Watson of Halifax. Mr. J Westmoreland of Islington is the sole contractor, and the building has been erected by him, assisted by tradesmen who have taken contracts from him in the several departments. The new premises are calculated to accommodate 700 children, which, the capacity of the existing building, will contain shelter and education for an aggregate number of about 1,900.

Source:
The Builder 1868 Vol XXVI 10th October 1868 p746
Submitted by Alan Longbottom

Page updated August 06, 2007 by ROSSBRET