| Summary : Dronfield Infants School in Chesterfield was built in 1929, and belongs to the inter-war phase of George H. Widdows' Elementary school building programme. It is not representative of Widdows' mainstream plan forms, having a tall hall range to the south of the site, with an attached single storey classroom range extending from its west end. There is a parallel range to the north, and both ranges are linked at both ends by, at the west end a classroom corridor, and at the east end, by a single storey entrance and administration range with canted bay windows either side of the doorway. The north and south classroom ranges have north light glazing to mansard roof pitches, and verandah corridors, the latter having now been enclosed. There have been substantial extensions to the hall range, and to the west end of the north classroom range, as well as the alterations to the former verandah corridors. Dronfield Infants School is a late design which, although it incorporates elements which are characteristic of Widdows' designs, is now a much altered and extended complex. |
More information : Dronfield Infants School school is being considered for listing as part of a thematic survey of the surviving schools designed by George Widdows in Derbyshire in 1906-1936. George Widdows (1871-46) is nationally acknowledged as a leading designer of schools and an exponent of advanced ideas on school planning. He was appointed as architect to Derbyshire County Council's Education Committee in 1904, and in 1910 was appointed its Chief Architect. He retired in 1936, by which time he had designed some sixty elementary and seventeen secondary schools. Nine of these have already been listed.
Widdows' revolutionary plan forms responded to concerns about health and hygiene in schools, and introduced cross ventilation and sunshine. There are four characteristic plans for the elementary schools built before 1914. The earliest was the 'marching corridor' type. Only five schools were built to this experimental and rather expensive plan. The second type was linear and more standardised, with a large classroom at either end and a freestanding hall to the rear. The earliest examples of this type date from around 1910-11. The third type is the most dramatic, being butterfly plans with pairs of classrooms leading from the corners of a central hall. The fourth type was designed for awkward sites, and has a corner hall, octagonal in plan. The secondary schools were larger and had a greater variety of rooms, with large assembly halls, laboratories and art rooms as well as classrooms, and the buildings have a greater architectural presence.
Dronfield Infants School in Chesterfield was built in 1929, and belongs to the inter-war phase of Widdows' Elementary school building programme.It is not representative of Widdows' mainstream plan forms, having a tall hall range to the south of the site, with an attached single storey classroom range extending from its west end. There is a parallel range to the north, and both ranges are linked at both ends by, at the west end a classroom corridor, and at the east end, by a single storey entrance and administration range with canted bay windows either side of the doorway. The north and south classroom ranges have north light glazing to mansard roof pitches, and verandah corridors, the latter having now been enclosed. There have been substantial extensions to the hall range, and to the west end of the north classroom range, as well as the alterations to the former verandah corridors. In the context of the thematic survey of Widdows' school designs, Dronfield Infants School is a late design which, although it incorporates elements which are characteristic of Widdows' designs, is now a much altered and extended complex which does not merit a listing recommendation. (1)
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