Watford: Elizabeth Fuller's Free School

Image: © Nigel Cox Taken: 22 Mar 2015

Elizabeth Fuller (1644–1709), often called Dame Elizabeth Fuller as a title of respect, founded her Free School for forty boys and twenty girls in grounds next to the churchyard of St Mary in 1704. The School eventually developed into the separate Watford Girls' and Boys' Grammar Schools. The building is Grade II* Listed and the Historic England website describes it thus:- "1704 school building. Brick with red brick and stone dressings. Two storeys and attic. Plain tile hipped roof surmounted by 6 sided cupola with lead dome. Two hipped dormers. Regular front. Three window range. Centre breaks forward with pediment. Wood dentil eaves cornice. Stone quoins to centre bay and outer angles. Stone band across. Stone central doorcase with moulded architrave and enriched segmental pediment on brackets. Inscription to Mrs Fuller in broad frieze below. Ten panel double doors. Large round-headed windows with gauged brick arches, wooden Y-tracery and leaded lights. Oval keyed window in pediment with ornamental stucco scroll beneath with MDCCIV in raised letters." On the left is the Grade II Listed Dalton/Guest tomb in the church graveyard.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0