Chard School
Private school in Chard, Somerset, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chard Prep School is a coeducational private school for children ages 4 to 11 located in the town of Chard in the English county of Somerset.
| Chard Prep School | |
|---|---|
| |
 School premises (Built 1583) | |
| Location | |
 | |
Monmouth House, Fore Street, Chard, Somerset, England , TA20 1QA | |
| Coordinates | 50.8734°N 2.9610°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private school Preparatory |
| Motto | Latin: Uniti Vireamus (United we thrive) |
| Established | 1671 |
| Founder | William Symes |
| Local authority | Somerset Council |
| Department for Education URN | 123927 Tables |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age range | 4–11 |
| Enrolment | 60 |
| Capacity | 120 |
| Listed Building | Grade II* |
| Listed Building Reference | 1205594 |
| Date of Listing | 24 March 1950 |
| Website | https://www.chardprep.co.uk/ |
The school is located on the site of the former Chard Grammar School.
History
The school was originally a private residence, built for John Symes of Poundsford in 1583. Later in 1671, his son, William Symes, handed the property over to twelve trustees for conversion into a grammar school.[1][2] It later became a public boarding school in 1890.[3]
The current independent preparatory school, known as Chard School, was established in 1972,[3] and still incorporates the original grammar school building. The 16th-century building has been Grade II* listed since 1950.[1] It is also on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, where it is described as being in poor condition.[4]
Architecture
The two-storey flint building has hamstone dressings, a tiled roof and brick chimney stacks. The front of the building has a three-room range and a projecting three-storey porch. Many of the rooms have fireplaces, panelling and decorations from the 16th to 19th centuries.[1] In the 18th century a staircase was added giving access to the adjacent Monmouth House which was built between 1770 and 1790.[5]
