Building History

Rosebery school was built for the Loughborough School Board in two phases, first the junior school in 1897, the date which appears on the Rosebery Street frontage and then the infants' school which was designed in 1899 and built by 1903.

Both parts of the school were designed by George Henry Barrowcliff (1864-1924) who was educated at Loughborough Grammar School.

The school was named after the Earl of Rosebery, Prime Minister 1894-1895 and leader of the Liberal Party until 1896.

The area surrounding the school, historically referred to as "Messenger's Village", was built in the late 19^th Century, to serve the workers and owners of Messengers' and Company, a firm with an international reputation for glasshouses and conservatories. The area survives today as an almost complete Victorian urban community.

The building continued to be used as a school until July 2006 when it was closed by the Local Authority. Former pupils and staff of the school are affectionately known as 'Rosebuds'. In March 2007 the school was Grade II listed as having notable historic importance and was bought by the partners of Charnwood Community Medical Group in July 2010 before opening as Rosebery Medical Centre in August 2012.

The building is a mixed Renaissance revival style made of red bricks with terracotta moulding with a copper clad cupola and spire.

There are a number of interesting features to look out for in and around the building.

There are terracotta mouldings over the windows on the outside of the building; the ones in the smaller gables are scroll shaped and have little cartouches with the monogram 'LSB' for Loughborough School Board. The gables have terracotta coping and hip-knobs and the end gables have terracotta pediments and scrolls at the apex.

The building retains two prominent chimney stacks at each end and the stack to the South East retains it's original capping.

In the centre of the roof there is an octagonal wooden bell-cote with a cupola. The cuplola is detailed with fishscale tiles with a copper clad spire above. The original school bell was cast by John Taylor and Co. of Loughborough and was removed at a later date for safety reasons.

Inside the building the large wooden ceiling in the main hall consists of square match boarding panels laid in different directions, punctuated by ventilation panels with floriated piecework. The heavy tie-beams are supported by buttresses with ornate triple scroll brackets and wooden braces with single brackets.

The hall retains its original glazed partitions in to the former classrooms which are now consulting rooms and the wide moulded cornices above them.

Source: Charnwood Borough Council Conservation Department Website