Old Grammar School, a photo from Devon, England

Photographer's Note

On one of the routes that we take when on our daily walk, we pass this old building.

The old Grammar School is built in a Gothic style.
It cost £1,077.17s.6d to build.

Above the door of the school is a keystone bearing the date 1664, and the first pupils were admitted in 1671.

A cloister of arches and columns decorated in contrasting bands of Devonian limestone and granite supports the schoolroom. It is roofed with Cann Quarry slates, and it has five mullioned windows.

Above the schoolroom door is a small gallery where the Headmaster could stand to watch his pupils work.

The school was intended as a charitable school for boys from surrounding parishes but, such was its reputation, the local gentry also sent their sons.

The fourth headmaster was the Reverend Samuel Reynolds, fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.

His seventh child, Joshua (1723-1792) was born in the headmaster's house adjacent to the school.

Sir Joshua Reynolds became the first President of the Royal Academy in 1768. Knighted by George III in the following year.

This shot was taken through the bars of a wrought iron gate, this was the only way that I could get a picture! Which explains the strange angle. The gate was padlocked.

Thanks for looking.

jhm, ikeharel, holmertz, Royaldevon, Fis2, COSTANTINO, everlasting, pajaran, ChrisJ, adramad, PaulVDV has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Silvio1953 (208569) 2021-04-07 9:21

Ciao Jean, great perspective on fantastic building, fine details and excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

jhm (205205) 2021-04-07 9:24

Hello Jean,

This is a fantastic school or nice architectural building.
Columns and arches are out a very well angle photographed.
Colours and presentation are superb.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John

lousat (131429) 2021-04-07 9:32

Hi Jean,strange perspective but i know wht reading your note. The building is majestic,very very interesting old school of 17th century,with its serious gothic style,now seems abandoned and it's a pity,it's a great memory of the past of this village. Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

holmertz (94680) 2021-04-07 9:59

Hello Jean,
The angle doesn't look so strange, but the composition is a bit tight which indicates there were some obstacles. But we get a good view anyway and the photo is well exposed. The building is quite impressive, especially for being s school, but I would have thought the Gothic style to have already been rather out of fashion by the time it was built.
Best regards,
Gert

Tue (84002) 2021-04-07 11:25

Hello Jean,
A beautiful old school in Gothic style. You captured it from a great angle, which shows the rows of arches and columns very well.
Lars

Royaldevon (78328) 2021-04-07 11:30

Hello Jean,

What a pity you had to struggle to compose the photograph because this is a very fine, interesting building. Your notes also explain why it is such a tight crop!

Wouldn't it be fun to explore this building, to see what the layout was like for such an early school. To have a charitable school seems way ahead of its time!

The building seems to have the character of a religious building but, I suppose, religion and education were much closer then, than in our time.
The lines in the walls and over the arches, is very well done; the big stones seem to be sandwiching stone which may even contain materials from the beach!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

Fis2 (158197) 2021-04-07 12:57

Witaj Jean!
A very interesting building, view makes impression.
Curious POV and colors.
I like window and columns.
Well done.
Good evening.
Krzysztof

ifege (35317) 2021-04-07 21:16

Hi Jean
A well taken photo through the locked gate. The building looks like it hasn't seen any pupils for a few years.
cheers
Ian

COSTANTINO (106045) 2021-04-07 22:56

Hello dear friend and have a nice day
anda happy evening
I love this ancient building
with the columns
well done
regards
Costantino

jemaflor (137430) 2021-04-07 23:47

Hi Jean,
Interesting architecture, well framed from this POV, good effect with perspective of columns, good brightness, tfs.

everlasting (18764) 2021-04-08 0:56

an interesting note to bring this old school building to life.
Your note also explains the tight crop

pajaran (104895) 2021-04-08 11:41

Pozdrav.
Lep pogled, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lepa fasada i detalji, dobro pokazano sa lepim bojama i kontrastom.
Dobro uhvacewn trenutak sa oblacima koji dolaze i najavljuju promenu vremena.
Lepa stara skola i fotografija.
Zelim vam sve najbolje.
Paja

abmdsudi (90109) 2021-04-09 4:08

Hi Jean
Love the wonderful architectural features here, you have captured all the texture and detail from an effective viewpoint perfectly. A very good documentary style shot..
Best regards

ChrisJ (162628) 2021-04-09 9:18

Hello Jean

A sterling effort to get this shot despite the padlocked gate. A fine upward pov with good sharpness and colour. Good to show two facades. Tfs!

adramad (68172) 2021-04-09 10:58

Hi Jean.
What a fantastic and unique building, I never opened thinking that it was a school, the ground floor all with arches in the front and a side is beautiful, the school itself on the first floor has wonderful Gothic windows, it is a good building sturdy built with very good material.
Sharpness, lighting, color, and the magnificent composition; they are all perfectly realized factors, in this stupendous image.
Well done. I like very much.
You have a good day.
Very best regards.
Luis.

PaulVDV (56367) 2021-04-09 11:54

Hello Jean,
Seeing the thumbnail I thought you presented us a church or a large chapel.
It is really a very special building to function as a school.
Students of the 17th century were taught in special rooms.
Beautiful and impressive with the many columns and arches on the ground floor.
Best regards, Paul