The Grange, Monmouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Grange, Monmouth |
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The Grange at 12–16 St James Street
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| General information | |
| Address | 12–16 St James Street |
| Town or city | Monmouth |
| Country | Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°48′45″N 2°42′41″W / 51.8124°N 2.7115°W |
| Designations | Grade II Listed |
The Grange is a group of three connected buildings in Monmouth, Wales. These buildings are special because they are Grade II listed, meaning they are protected for their historical importance. They are located on St James Street, inside the old medieval town walls.
The Grange was first built by Captain Charles Philipps. It stands where an old farm house used to be. For many years, these buildings were home to a prep school for boys. This school was part of the Haberdashers' Company. In 2011, The Grange buildings were changed into a boarding house for students of Monmouth School. This is another school run by the Haberdashers' Company.
Contents
History and Design of The Grange
How The Grange Buildings Were Built
In the 1700s, a large part of St James Street in Monmouth was a farm. The Grange was built on the spot where the old farm house once stood. Captain Charles Philipps was the person who had it built.
Today, The Grange at 12–16 St James Street is made up of three buildings that are joined together. They are on the northwest side of the street. There is also an extra part added to the back of the property. All three houses are Grade II listed. This means they are important historical buildings. They are also located within the old town walls of Monmouth, which were built around the year 1300.
What The Grange Looks Like
The main house, at 12 St James Street, has three floors and five sections. It has railings in front of it, facing the street. The roof is made of slate. The front of the building, called the facade, looks like it was built in the 1700s or early 1800s. It has decorative stone bands and corner blocks.
The entrance has a special porch with a triangular top, called a pediment. It has columns in the Doric style and a window above the door. The decoration on the porch has a pattern that was popular in the Adam style. There is also a special plaque on the pediment called a firemark. This plaque showed that the building's owner had given money to the town's fire department. The red brick building next to The Grange, at 10 St James Street, used to be its stable.
The Grange Preparatory School
Moving the School to a New Location
It's important to know that "The Grange" can mean two things. It refers to the buildings on St James Street, but it also refers to the preparatory school itself. This school is run by the Haberdashers' Company.
For many years, the buildings on St James Street were home to the prep school for boys aged seven to eleven. However, in February 2009, the school moved. It moved to new buildings on Hadnock Road, which is across the River Wye and east of the town center. The new school is very close to Monmouth School's Sports Complex.
New Facilities for Students
The new school building was designed by a team of architects. It has classrooms, a garden, a kitchen, and special rooms for computers (ICT suite), science, art, and music. Students at The Grange also use the chapel and sports facilities of Monmouth School.
Even though students and staff started using the new building in February 2009, it was officially opened later. On September 23, 2009, the new building was formally opened as The Grange, Monmouth Preparatory School. It kept the same name as its old home. Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, was there for the opening ceremony. Before the school moved, the students from the St James Street location were very good at chess. They even won Britain's national title for under-11 chess champions in 2003.
The Grange Boarding House
Converting the Old School Buildings
On August 19, 2010, the Monmouthshire County Council shared plans to change the old prep school buildings on St James Street. The idea was to turn them into a boarding house for older students at Monmouth School. This would be for students in their final years of school. There were also plans to create housing for staff members.
The application explained that there were three Grade II listed buildings connected together. It also mentioned an extension that had been added later. The plan included adding a new part that would connect to the existing extension at the back of the property.
Opening the New Boarding House
On December 13 and 14, 2010, it was announced that permission was given to change The Grange from a prep school into a boarding house. This change was part of a bigger project called "The Heart Project." This project was a major renovation of Monmouth School.
The new boarding house officially opened in September 2011. It welcomed students in their last year of school. Kingsley Jones became the housemaster, which is like the head, of the new boarding house.
See also
- St James Street, Monmouth
- Monmouth School
