23 Caxton St, London, Blewcoat School

Record ID:  150726*0 / MNA130297
Record type:  Monument
Protected Status: Listed Building: Grade I
NT Property:  Blewcoat School; London and South East
Civil Parish:  None Recorded
Grid Reference:  TQ 2948 7936
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Summary

Built in 1709 at the expense of William Green, a local brewer, to provide an education for poor children. The building was in use as a school until the 1920s, bought by the Trust in 1954 and restored in 1975. It was used as the National Trust London Information Centre and Shop, and is now let to a tenant.

Identification Images (1)

South elevation of Blewcoat School, London © National Trust / Nathalie Cohen
South elevation of Blewcoat School, London © National Trust / Nathalie Cohen

Most Recent Monitoring

None Recorded

Monument Types

  • CHARITY SCHOOL (Early 18th C - 1709 AD to 1709 AD)

Description

The Bluecoat School was built in 1709 to house a charity school founded in 1688, and remained in use as a school until 1926. It was acquired in 1954 by the National Trust. It is built of brick, and comprises a single schoolroom above a basement; the latter was divided into office spaces in 1974. Both internally and externally it is a building of considerable sophistication, and although there have been some alterations both inside and outside, its original form remains substantially intact.

The architect is not known, and there is nothing to support its traditional attribution to Christopher Wren. In 1814 it was described as being 'formed in a similar style of workmanship' to Green's brewery nearby. None the less, the attribution to Wren seems to be of long standing, and is probably the reason for the building's so complete survival. The earliest known drawings of the school, by John Carter in 1811, may have been made in this belief, and in 1814 the building was described as 'though small in dimensions, of a design yet the most pure and elegant in all its architectural details… Great pains and study seem to have been bestowed in arranging each accommodation.'

[Information from Cooper, 2013]

References

  • --- SNA61943 - National Trust Report: Gary Marshall. Nov 2005. Report describing wall footings in trench 1 at the Blewcoat School, Westminster.

  • --- SNA61986 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1. 1M/20cm. TBLS001. N.

  • --- SNA61987 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1. 1M/20cm. TBLS002. N.

  • --- SNA61988 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1,Wall footings, contexts 010 & 011. 1M/20cm. TBLS003. E.

  • --- SNA61989 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1,Wall footings, contexts 010 & 011. 1M/20cm. TBLS004. S.

  • --- SNA61990 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, Walls, contexts 010 & 011. 1M/20cm. TBLS005. S.

  • --- SNA61991 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, south section. 1M/20cm. TBLS006. S.

  • --- SNA61992 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, south section. 1M/20cm. TBLS007. S.

  • --- SNA61993 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, Wall footings, contexts 010 & 011. 1M/20cm. TBLS008. S.

  • --- SNA61994 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, Wall footing 011. 1M/20cm. TBLS009. E.

  • --- SNA61995 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, Wall footing - context 011. 1M/20cm. TBLS010. W.

  • --- SNA61996 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, west section. 1M/20cm. TBLS011. W.

  • --- SNA61997 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, Trench 1, west section. 1M/20cm. TBLS012. SW.

  • --- SNA61998 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, north elevation. TBLS013. S.

  • --- SNA61999 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, west elevation. TBLS014. S.

  • --- SNA62000 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, west elevation. TBLS015. E.

  • --- SNA62001 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, west elevation, gouge marks to basement window. TBLS016. E.

  • --- SNA62002 - Slide: G. Marshall. 31/10/2005. Blewcoat School, south elevation. TBLS017. N.

  • --- SNA65495 - Report: Nicholas Cooper. 2013. The Blewcoat School, A Report for the National Trust.

  • --- SNA66463 - National Trust Report: WL Matthews & Angus Wainwright. Spring 1993. The Blewcoat School, 23 Caxton Street, London.

  • --- SNA68041 - Photograph - black and white: WL Matthews. June 1993. Colour and black and white prints of The Blewcoat School.

  • --- SNA68074 - Pamphlet: National Trust. 1982. The National Trust The Blewcoat School London.

  • --- SNA68075 - Correspondence: 1956. Miscellaneous research notes re the Blewcoat School.

  • --- SZM10554 - Book: National Trust. 1988. The Blewcoat School and a Walk Around Victoria.

  • --- SZM11025 - Photograph - black and white: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. Interior, the Blewcoat School. 25.

  • --- SZM1577 - Document: Westminster Reference Library. 1700-1709. Benefactors and Subscribers.

  • --- SZM17753 - Photograph - black and white: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. Interior, the Blewcoat School. 26.

  • --- SZM17754 - Photograph - black and white: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. Exterior, the Blewcoat School. 27.

  • --- SZM1937 - Document: Westminster Reference Library. 1700-1701. Pupils.

  • --- SZM1938 - Document: Westminster Reference Library. 1719-1789. Accounts and Papers re Running the School.

  • --- SZM21265 - Photograph - black and white: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. Exterior, the Blewcoat School. 28.

  • --- SZM22415 - Photograph - colour: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. Interior, the Blewcoat School. 21.

  • --- SZM2638 - Map: J Rocque. 1746. London.

  • --- SZM2763 - Map: R Horwood. 1799-1819. London.

  • --- SZM28207 - Photograph - black and white: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. Exterior, the Blewcoat School. 29.

  • --- SZM31207 - Photograph - colour: Matt Matthews. 01/06/1993. The Blewcoat School, Interior. 20.

  • --- SZM3285 - Document: Westminster Reference Library. 1719-1789. 17 Apprentice Indentures.

  • --- SZM4212 - Monograph: W Besant. 1926. Survey of London. Part 1 Westminster.. 10.

  • --- SZM4874 - Collection: Westminster Reference Library. 1698-1818. Volumes of wills of benefactors.

  • --- SZM5278 - Map: Kensington Reference Library. 1717. London.

  • --- SZM6781 - Monograph: Anon. 1982. The Blewcoat School, London.

  • --- SZM7858 - Monograph: W Kent. 1970. Encyclopaedia of London.

  • --- SZM8547 - Map: G W Bacon. 1888. London.

  • --- SZM8874 - Monograph: Westminster Reference Library. 1700. School Book, October.

  • --- SZM9026 - Monograph: R Carrington. 1983. Westminster City School and its Origins.

  • --- SZM972 - Monograph: Anon. 1903. Endowed Charities of the County of London. 5.

Designations

Other Statuses and References

  • Conservation Area

Associated Events

  • ENA4004 - Archaeological Intervention, Watching brief over trench 1 on the west side of the Blewcoat School, Westminster
  • ENA7081 - Heritage Assessment, Assessment of the Blewcoat School, Westminster
  • ENA9416 - Heritage Assessment, Blewcoat School Set of 6 Colour and B&W Photographs of the Exterior/Interior

Associated Finds

None Recorded

Related Records

None Recorded