Bennettsbridge National School

Detached five-bay single-storey national school, dated 1914, on a symmetrical T-shaped plan comprising five-bay single-storey main block with single-bay (three-bay deep) single-storey gabled projecting central range having single-bay single-storey lower flanking bays. Pitched slate roofs on a T-shaped plan (pitched to lower flanking bays) with clay and terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, rendered bargeboards to gables, and cast-iron rainwater goods on exposed timber eaves. Painted rendered walls with cut-limestone date stone/plaque. Square-headed window openings with cut-stone sills, three-over-six timber sash windows to main block having three-over-nine timber sash windows to side elevations, two-over-two timber sash windows to projecting block having timber casement windows to side elevations, and one-over-one timber sash windows to lower flanking bays. Square-headed door openings with glazed tongue-and-groove timber panelled doors. Set back from road in own grounds with random rubble stone boundary wall to perimeter of site having cut-stone coping, and unpainted rendered piers.

A well-composed national school accommodating a number of classroom ranges in a cohesive integrated design: a variety of glazing patterns to the openings enlivens the external expression of an otherwise modestly-detailed range. Having been well maintained the school presents an early aspect with the essential composition attributes surviving in place together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, thereby making a positive contribution to the character of Bennettsbridge. The school remains of particular additional importance as the earliest-surviving purpose-built educational facility in the locality.