Doncaster High School for Girls, Doncaster

History

The girls grammar school was built in 1910 after a fierce design competition in 1909. It was won by J. M. Bottomley, son and Welburn, an architectural firm based in Leeds and was then built by J. T. Wright. The design was simple, built in a V shape plan with a central section with two ground floor wings. J. M. Bottomley designed the building in an Edwardian Baroque style utilising red brick and it was laid in an English cross bond style with white faience dressings.

The building was altered in 1935 to designs produced by T Sydney Athron and E Vincent Dyson. They added first floors to the two wings and moved the assembly hall from the ground floor to the first floor on the Waterdale wing. Various rooms were changed to suit new needs, an extension was built on the south east of the Chequer wing to house new laboratory facilities.

The school finally amalgamated with the Boy's Grammar School to become Hall Cross Comprehensive School and closed when the school was moved to its new location. The Girls School has sat empty since. In 2007 the building was assessed for grade II listing but failed to make the grade as it had been altered from its original form.

Source:

http://www.urbanography.org.uk/Doncaster-High-School-For-Girls/Index.shtml

There are lots of reports on this site on the popular urban exploration forums that show the building in its amazing former glory and a short video exploration can be found on this YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sPTelELIfk

Unfortunately demolition work has now begun to continue the development of Doncasters new Civic Quarter, which has already seen the demolition of the old council buildings (the former home of British Coal), the Civic Theatre and Scarborough House. The plan is to retain the frontage of the Girls School due its architectural significance:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/video-demolition-of-girls-high-school-starts-1-6781271

http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/video-council-house-demolition-gets-underway-1-6461137

All photographs are available as prints or canvas with or without the border. Message for sizes/ prices.

Esoteric Eric