Former School of Naval Architecture (Building Number 1/22) Portsmouth, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

SU 6300 SW SOUTH TERRACE (West side) HM Naval Base 774-1/30/237 Former school of Naval Architecture (Building No 1/22) GV II

Alternatively known as: School for Superior Apprentices, SOUTH TERRACE HM NAVAL BASE School of Naval Architecture, now offices. 1815-17, with C19 and C20 alterations and additions. By Edward Holl, architect to the Navy Board. Yellow brick in Flemish bond with limestone dressings. Hipped slate roof with tall brick stacks. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys with cellar. 15 bays arranged 2:5:3:5:2, the ends and centre projecting and the centre pedimented. Ashlar plinth, 1st-floor band, cornice and blocking course. Windows have 12-pane sashes, mostly horned; projecting sills; and flat brick arches, except ground floors of projecting sections which have round- arched windows in round-arched recessed linked by impost bands, those at centre with moulded sills and balustraded apron panels; the 1st floor windows of the centrepiece are also in recesses (flat-arched) and have moulded sills and balustraded apron panels. Central entrance: steps up to Tuscan portico with pilasters at rear, entablature and blocking course; paired 6-panel doors with overlights below overall fanlight with radial glazing bars, all in round- arched surround. Low-level addition on left of porch. Rear: similar but with 4-bay end sections and parts masked by C20 additions. Right return: 4 bays, 2 at centre projecting, with a single ground floor window. Round-arched windows to ground floor with sashes with glazing bars, radial in heads, the outer windows in round-arched recesses. Left return similar, but the centre projection has 2 windows on ground floor, one above, and window and door to right return. INTERIOR: some panelled window and door reveals and shutters, door architraves, ceiling cornices (at west end) and fireplaces survive. The principle remaining feature is the fine central Imperial stair, with wave-moulded brackets, open-string, stick balusters and moulded handrail with spiral curtail. At west end, secondary dog-leg stair with open- string, stick balusters, bulbous columnar newels and moulded handrail. HISTORY: the building originally provided classrooms and accommodation for up to 25 apprentice shipwrights. Established in 1811, by 1860, graduates held most senior technical posts in the navy, and manyoutside. Its authority was confirmed by the selection of an Academy design for HMS Warrior, in 1860. (Sources: Coad J: Historic Architecture of HM Naval Base Portsmouth 1700- 1850: Portsmouth: 1981: 14, plate 10 ; (oad j: The Royal Dockyards 1690- 1850: Aldershot: 1989: 78-79 ; The Buildings of England: Lloyd D: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1985: 413).

Listing NGR: SU6299200361