The stone "finials" on the corners of the porch are echoed on the main building and it can be seen that these have been removed from the single storey building and re-fitted to the new second storey. The builders of the upper rooms didn't have quoins available of the same width as the finials, so simply filled the gap with pieces of stone and mortar as seen below.

The "National School" was built in 1815 by a Mr Baratt of London, who wished to be an MP and so bribed the local landowners [only landed gentlemen had the vote] into sponsoring him for the Richmond seat by building the school in return for their votes.  In the history available to us there is no mention of the schoolhouse. Some 50 odd years later, in the 1870s, the National School was extended and Robbie Gill, our revered local historian, assumed that this was when School House was built.  Not so.  The lower part of the schoolhouse is much older than this.   It seems then, that this should be interpreted as "turned into a two storey dwelling for the master" as what had been done, was not to build the house, but modify the existing building which does not seem to have previously been a house.

On careful examination, it seems that what is now School House, may have been the original school - hence the design of the old building which had only two large rooms with what was probably a central dividing lobby - probably used as a cloakroom, and the building of the new school may have been the building of a school and use of the old school as the master's house.  There is also the theory that School House may have been some other "public" building converted to a house when the new school was built shortly after 1800. I don't think that other than a possible "Chapel of Ease", another use would be a practical suggestion for such a small village.

One thing is for certain. This building - whatever it was, was built far too well for a two room cottage. Lots of cut stone for porch, door and windows. Cut stone string courses and relief quoins around the porch. Decorative cut and capped stone finials on all corners.   Anyone who built a cottage like this could have built a larger house instead. Apart from all of this, the style of the building attests to the fact that it was not originally designed as a dwelling.

The Basic Structure

If we strip back the layers, we find only three lower rooms, with a central external porch which would have been open, and the door inside the porch on a step up into the small central room - a cloakroom perhaps?  The whole of this structure is built upon very large, heavy foundation stones which were most certainly out of the question for a cottage.  These foundation stones, form a rectangle with a bay window at one end, nearest to the beck. 

Whilst on the subject of the house's proximity to the beck, it should be noted that there is no record or living memory of the house ever succumbing the the rise of the beck waters, simply because there is a natural defence mechanism.  The land on which the house is built is naturally above the level of the field on the opposite bank of the beck.  When the waters rise, the beck breaks it's banks only on the field side, the waters expanding over the large flat expanse of the field, and re-entering the beck some 75 metres further downstream near the Pack Bridge.

 There have been many changes over the 100 plus years since the house was extended. The house now consists two reception rooms [what are thought to be the original school rooms] and where we believe what was the cloakroom, has been converted to a stair well, serving the upper floor. Moreover, at some unknown point, a large room - now the kitchen - had been added with an upper room which provided a third bedroom, making the plan of the house a "T" shape.  The leg of this T being the kitchen and upper room, which together with the bay window in the beckside room, look out across the beck over open fields.

In more recent years, the "wash-house", outside privvy and probable stable for the schoolmaster's horse and trap, have been rebuilt as Bethany, a fully self contained annex of the house with two bedrooms, living room, shower room and kitchen. A twenty three foot garage sits comfortably between Bethany and the garden. The garden, once providing the vegetables for the house, now has a beckside lawn and decked area with flower beds and extending away from the beckside, further lawns and gazebo set in shrubbed borders. Although fully self contained, Bethany is part of School House.

ACCOMMODATION

Entrance Porch, Entrance Hall, Living Room, Dining Room, Side Entrance Hall, Kitchen/Breakfast Room.  First floor:  Front Landing, Rear Landing, 3 Bedrooms, Bathroom/WC.
 
ANNEX:  Entrance Hall, Sitting Room, Walk-in Pantry, Entrance Porch, Kitchen, Shower Room, 2 further Bedrooms.
 
Externally:  Front and rear gardens, Garage.
 
CENTRAL HEATING
Independent central heating to both the School House and the annex, both of which have an oil fired central heating boiler which controls the radiators and supplies domestic hot water.
 
DOUBLE GLAZING
UPVC double glazed windows to the School House.  Sealed unit timber framed double glazed windows to the annex.
 
SECURITY
Independent security alarm systems to the School House and annex.
 
THE VILLAGE
The picturesque village provides a Public House with restaurant.  A further detailed description of the village can be found by visiting the website www.aldbrough-st-john.co.uk
 
Half panelled and half glazed entrance door opens to
 
ENTRANCE PORCH
With tiled floor, two leaded windows, half glazed panelled double doors opening to
 
ENTRANCE HALL
Double radiator, staircase providing access to first floor accommodation, thermostat, understairs storage cupboard and stripped pinewood doors providing access to reception rooms.
 
 
 
LIVING ROOM   3.53m x 3.59m excluding bay   (11'7" x 11'9" )
With leaded UPVC double glazed window to the front and separate walk-in bay with leaded UPVC double glazed window providing a magnificent outlook across the stream towards open countryside, two double radiators, pinewood fire surround with cast iron fireplace with tiled inset and hearth, open fire, power sockets, TV aerial socket, telephone socket.
 
DINING ROOM   4.19m x 3.53m   (13'9" x 11'7" )
Two leaded UPVC double glazed windows which provide views to the front of the property and towards the village green, two double radiators, telephone socket, power sockets, timber fire surround with cast iron fireplace, tiled hearth, open fire and a wide stripped pinewood door opening to
 
SIDE ENTRANCE HALL   2.6m x 2m   (8'6" x 8'6" )
With stable door providing access to the side of the property, obscure double glazed UPVC window, coving, power sockets, stripped pinewood door opening to
 
KITCHEN/BREAKFAST ROOM   4.26m x 3.66m   (14'0" x 12'0" )
Fitted with a range of light oak floor and wall mounted units with work surfaces, single draining stainless steel sink unit, peninsula breakfast bar, integrated Creda fan assisted double oven with grill, 4-ring gas hob unit with extractor hood, plumbing and space for automatic washing machine, tiled splash-back, under unit lighting, radiator, free standing Trianco Eurostar oil fired central heating boiler supplying domestic hot water and radiators, UPVC leaded double glazed window providing views towards countryside.

FIRST FLOOR     
 
FRONT LANDING     
With UPVC double glazed window, loft hatch, roof light, power socket, access to Bedrooms 1 & 2.
 
REAR LANDING
Providing access to Bedroom 3 and Bathroom.
 
BEDROOM 1   4.18m x 3.58m   (13'9" x 11'9" )
Double bedroom providing excellent views across the village green to the front with UPVC double glazed window, double radiator, cast iron fireplace, exposed timber beam, a range of newly fitted pinewood furniture comprising three 3-door wardrobes, stripped pinewood entrance door.
 
BEDROOM 2   3.74m x 3.58m   (12'3" x 11'9" )
Double bedroom to the front with UPVC double glazed window, double radiator, cast iron fireplace, exposed timber beam.
 
BEDROOM 3   3.81m x 3.31m   (12'6" x 10'10" )
A double bedroom with UPVC double glazed window with excellent views across the stream towards countryside, a useful built-in storage cupboard, double radiator, stone fireplace with cast iron grate, stripped pinewood entrance door.
 
BATHROOM/WC   2.8m x 2.16m   (9'2" x 7'1" )
Again with stripped pinewood entrance door, panelled bath, pedestal wash hand basin, low level WC, tiled shower cubicle, radiator, wall mounted electric heater, obscure UPVC double glazed window, immersion heater
 
ANNEX     
 
Stable door to
 
ENTRANCE HALL     
Access to Kitchen, Shower Room, Bedroom 4 and Sitting Room.
 
SITTING ROOM   3.86m x 3.85m including staircase   (12'8" x 12'8" )
Pinewood fire surround with cast iron fireplace, tiled inset and hearth, open fire, TV aerial sockets, power sockets, double radiator, sealed unit double glazed window providing views to the side of the property, delft rack, staircase leading to first floor accommodation, glazed door to entrance porch and door to
 
 
WALK-IN PANTRY   1.67m x 1.36m   (5'6" x 4'6" )
Shelved pantry with light fitting and power supply.
 
ENTRANCE PORCH
With two windows and panelled door opening to the garden.
 
KITCHEN   2.33m x 1.62m   (7'8" x 5'4" )
A small kitchen with pinewood floor and wall mounted units, work surfaces, single draining sink unit, sealed unit double glazed window to the side, extractor fan.
 
SHOWER ROOM   2m x 1.36m   (6'7" x 4'6" )
Low level WC, wash hand basin, tiled cubicle with shower unit, obscure sealed unit double glazed window.
 
BEDROOM 4   2.69m x 2.81m   (8'10" x 9'3" )
With radiator, sealed unit double glazed window.
 
FIRST FLOOR
Access to loft space.
 
BEDROOM 5   3m x 2.68m excluding cupboards   (9?10? x 8?10? )
With sealed unit double glazed window, attractive views across the rear garden and adjoining stream and countryside, radiator, access to storage space in the eaves.

EXTERNALLY
 
FRONT
Wrought iron entrance gate and fence, small stone wall, tarmacadam path leading to the entrance door, flower borders.
 

SIDE
Delightful area which adjoins the stream and provides views across adjoining countryside, herbaceous borders and a flagged patio area.

REAR
Timber decked area and lawned garden with stocked borders, oil tank, enclosed by fencing, small timber summerhouse.
 
GARAGE   7.32m x 3.66m   (24?1? x 12?0? )
Double length garage with swing timber doors, oil fired boiler supplying radiators and hot water in the annex.

 
 
VIEWINGS
For further information and viewings, please contact our Darlington Office.
J W Wood Estate Agents