The Mount & The Willows Primary School - Conservation Fabric Repairs and Refurbishment and Creation of Three new Classrooms

The conservation repair and internal alteration works now proposed to The Mount building under this contract include;

a) The complete striping and recovering of all historic slate and plain clay tiled roofs (approx. 2,840sq.m), new lead fat roofs and lead coverings to three domed roofs

b) Replacement patent glazed roof/skylights

c) Chimney and high-level masonry conservation repair and consolidation works

d) Specialist DOFF masonry cleaning and re-pointing works using hydraulic lime mortars

e) 100% Replacement cast iron and uPVC rainwater goods

f) Repairs and alterations to the existing below-ground drainage system

g) Specialist overhauling and weather stripping of all existing timber sash windows

h) The removal of a ground floor glazed corridor link and two redundant external steel fire escapes

i) Internal alterations and fit-out works to create three new classrooms and associated toilets and storage rooms at first floor level

j) Internal alterations and replacement fire doors to ground floor corridors

k) Acoustic ceiling interventions to the ground floor dining hall and lobby areas

l) The installation of 3no. new replacement gas-fired hearting and hot water boilers

m) New electrical, heating, ventilation and fire detection and alarm installations to the new first floor classrooms and associated spaces Additional information: BACKGROUND

The Mount is a two-storey red brick building, diagonal pattern Welsh slate roof and Ashlarm sandstone central projecting bay, with four dominant full-height doric columns and domed roof. The house was of classic Georgian character with large 6-over-6 double-hung sliding timber sash windows and a central double-panelled door. The symmetrical house has an unusual 'tooled' finish of the facing brickwork.

The school was designed with a practical 'H-shaped' layout, inc classrooms, 2 external courtyards, dormitories and areas for domestic administration. The school opened in 1895, but closed as a specialist deaf school in the early 2000's when the adjoining Willows Primary School was constructed under the PFI school building scheme. Parts of The Mount have remained in education use ever since.

The Willows Primary School already occupy some of the ground floor, however, the first and second floors have been unoccupied since the building was last in use as The Mount Education Centre in 2018, and require extensive fabric repairs due to water damage and neglect.

The Mount was first Listed Grade II in April 1972. The city council conservation officer and Historic England have also helped inform the scope of the proposed repair and alteration works.