Listed Building: THE BENEFICIAL SCHOOL (1271859)

School, now training centre. 1784, extended 1836, restored late C20. Red brick in Flemish bond, ground floor front stucco. Welsh slated roof. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 3 bays (centre bay wide). Ground floor horizontal rusticated. At centre recessed 2-leaf door, 12 fielded panels under large fanlight with radial looped glazing bars running into it from centre, panelled reveal and soffit, flanking engaged Doric columns, broken entablature and broken pediment. On left and right is a 6-pane sash set under rusticated flat arch. At centre of first floor is a large Venetian window running through first and second floors with full width outer arch light, centre 15-pane unequal sash, 3-pane round-headed light over set under round stuccoed arch, flanking 8-pane sashes, articulating pilasters have fluting and leaf decorations to necking, broken entablature has frieze with flukes and paterae, sill has consoles in line with pilasters; 12-pane sashes flanking set under flat gauged brick arches. Facing brick dentil pediment and cornice with stone capping contains tablet inscribed "This building was erected in 1784 by the Beneficial Society for their Free School for Boys established 1755 and enlarged 1836 for the purpose of adding a Girls School to the Institution". Left return (west elevation) has 22 bays, the 7 bays to the right was the extent of the original school prior to extension. Right return (east elevation) wall has been rebuilt. INTERIOR not inspected. (Balfour A: Portsmouth: London: 1970-: 28; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 50; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 458). Selected Sources Books and journals Balfour, A, Portsmouth, (1970), 28 Lloyd, D W , Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs, (1974), 50 Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1967), 458