Windermere House, Lancaster
Encyclopedia
Windermere House is in Middle Street, Lancaster
, Lancashire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building. It originated as a school, and has since been converted into flats.
built in 1772. In 1849–50 it was rebuilt and enlarged by the local architects Sharpe and Paley. It then became known as the Lancaster Charity School for Girls. It was paid for mainly by public subscription, but the Sharpe family contributed £25 (£ as of ) towards it. The school has since been converted into flats and is known as Windermere House.
with slate
roofs. The architectural style is Elizabethan Revival. The plan is rectangular, with a small service wing to the rear. The building is in two storeys, with a front of five slightly irregular bays
. Each of the bays contains a gable
d dormer
. The entrance doorway is in the second bay from the left. Above it is a niche
containing the figures of two girls holding an inscription. The windows are mullion
ed or mullioned and transomed, those in the upper storey having stepped heads.
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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. It originated as a school, and has since been converted into flats.
History
This was originally the site of a Bluecoat schoolBluecoat school
Blue Coat School, Bluecoat school etc. may refer to:*Charity school in England, originally known as Blue Coat School-Individual schools:* St Mary's School, Banbury, a primary school founded as Bluecoat School in 1705....
built in 1772. In 1849–50 it was rebuilt and enlarged by the local architects Sharpe and Paley. It then became known as the Lancaster Charity School for Girls. It was paid for mainly by public subscription, but the Sharpe family contributed £25 (£ as of ) towards it. The school has since been converted into flats and is known as Windermere House.
Architecture
The building is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with 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...
roofs. The architectural style is Elizabethan Revival. The plan is rectangular, with a small service wing to the rear. The building is in two storeys, with a front of five slightly irregular 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:...
. Each of the bays contains a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
. The entrance doorway is in the second bay from the left. 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 figures of two girls holding an inscription. The windows are mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed or mullioned and transomed, those in the upper storey having stepped heads.