York Historic Environment Record

In April 2009 AOC Archaeology were commissioned to undertake an historic buildings survey of Shipton Street School, York in order to provide a detailed permanent record of the building prior to its conversion into residential houses. This survey consisted of a detailed photographic, written and drawn record of the building prior to the development taking place. Shipton Street school was one of the earliest buildings to be built by the famous York architect Walter Brierley. It was constructed in response to the 1870 Education Act which made education compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 10. The main school was built in four separate phases of construction with the first phase of the building completed and opened in 1890 along with a small detached building to the south of the main school. The subsequent alterations and extensions were carried out in the late 19t/ early 20th century and in the 1930s. These extensions were sympathetic to the existing structure and little evidence of the enlargement can be seen within the fabric of the building. The school was highly modernised in the later 20th century with alterations to both the existing fabric and the addition of single-storey extensions to the south-east and south-west corners of the building. Although the school and adjacent nursery have been modified to accommodate a modern school environment, many of the historical features, both internally and externally have been retained. This report provides a permanent record of the Shipton Street School in order to produce a detailed account of the buildings that can be used once the development has taken place. Before describing the building in detail, the objectives and methodology will be outlined. The building will be then placed into its historical background in order to provide context and to allow an insight into outside factors and events that may have prompted the building to evolve.