As part of the the request for listing a building you are also asked to give the historical background to the building.
For Old Pennar School, there is information in files in The National Archives and at Pembrokeshire Archives, as well as some old newspaper reports and documents in private hands.
Files in The National Archives include ED 21/67383, an extract of which is reproduced, courtesy of TNA. This is a school inspector's report from 1938, and is interesting as it mentions how some of the classrooms were arranged.
In the Pembrokeshire Archives are files that tell us what the school was like initially.
Details of
specification and cost. This shows that the school initially comprised three
classrooms.
Mixed Girls School Room:
50 ft x 20 ft x 26 ft high
20ft x 15 ft x 20 ft
high
Infants classroom
50ft x 20ft x 26ft high
The school
was remodelled in 1894 to provide an extra infants classroom. Cost was £270.
30ft x 18ft
x 16ft high (Wall Plate 12 ft)
In 1897 the school accommodated 123 Girls and 193
Infants.
The school
was again enlarged in 1901, bringing it up to its present form.
Mixed Girls School Room:
51 ft x 20 ft x 20 ft high
46ft x 20 ft x 20 ft
high
20ft x 20 ft x 20 ft
high
Infants classroom
33 ft x 24 ft x 20 ft
22 ft x 24 ft x 20 ft
30 ft x 19 ft x 18 ft
The extract below from my submission to CADW for listing, explains (in part) the relationship between the bombing of the Oil Tanks (In August 1940) and Old Pennar School:
I shall give you a few more extracts in my next post.
