John Ray House (EHER 15863)

John Ray House is the former gymnasium of the Country High School in Braintree. The High School was built in 1904-07 by Essex County Council on land donated by Mrs Sydney Courtauld. The gymnasium was built in 1928-9 to the north of the school and was paid for by W J Courtauld. The architect was John Stuart, County Architect. Following the closure of the school the gymnasium was converted into Braintree's Registrars' Office in 1992-93, opening in 1994. The building is single storey and built in classical style. It is constructed of red and purple brick with stone dressings and is rectangular in plan. It has a gable roof with slate covering. The south is the principle elevation and it has large single storey projecting wings to the west and east. The wings were originally separate entrances for boys and girls and create an open space paved with marble, further defined by a colonnade of paired Doric columns supporting a plain entablature and approached by a flight of stone steps. Inside the former changing rooms have been converted to offices, waiting rooms and toilets. A mezzanine roof has been inserted at the west end however the sense of space remains tangible. At the east end is a balcony. The building is listed Grade II.

Early 20th century gymnasium built by William Julien Courtauld, used as Register Office from 1994. Built when Bocking Place became the Braintree Intermediate School by William Julien Courtauld (1870-1940). Converted to the Register Office in 1994. <1> NRHE data transfer: November 2008. Listing. The County High School in Braintree was built in 1904-07 by Essex County Council on land donated by Mrs Sydney Courtauld of Bocking Place. In 1928-29 a single storey gymnasium was built at the Bocking End frontage to the north of the school, the two buildings separated by the tennis courts. It was designed by John Stuart the County Architect (who also designed Block C of County Hall, Chelmsford, listed at Grade II in 2007) and paid for by W.J. Courtauld. Elevational drawings indicate that the building remains intact externally, apart from the blocking of a door and two windows on the ground floor of the west elevation. Following the closure of the school, the gymnasium was sympathetically converted into Braintree's Registrars' Office in 1992-3, opening in 1994. Some interior remodelling took place during the conversion, but the most significant features of the gymnasium interior remain. A single storey gymnasium in classical style, built in 1928-9 and designed by John Stuart, the County architect. The building is constructed of red and purple brick laid in English bond with stone dressings. Rectangular in plan, the building has a gable roof with slate covering, stone copings to the gables and brick parapets to the north and south elevations. The south is the principal elevation and has single storey projecting wings to the west and east wrapping around the side elevations. The wings are of brick and stone with stone cornices and were originally separate entrances for boys and girls. They project to the south to create an open space paved with grey and white Sicilian marble, further defined by a colonnade of paired Doric columns supporting a plain entablature and approached by a flight of stone steps. Pairs of pilasters on the south wall of the main range echo those on the colonnade. In between the pilasters are twelve-over-twelve light sliding sash windows with a top light of four glazes. The windows have simply detailed stone surrounds and heads, with the carved Essex coat of arms on a boss with lions head and foliate motifs over the central window. The north elevation has seven windows in the same form. The east elevation incorporates the stair tower, lit by a nine-over-nine arched sash window. Both the east and west elevations have semi-circular lights with radiating glazing bars at upper level and door and window openings at ground floor. The latter are blocked on the west elevation, which also supports an external chimney stack with stone dressings. The former changing rooms located in the east and west wings have been converted to office accommodation, waiting rooms and toilet facilities. A curving mezzanine roof has been inserted at the west end of the gym to create a more intimate space for wedding ceremonies. However, the sense of space remains tangible, emphasised by a vaulted and coffered ceiling along the length of the building with square and rectangular motifs rising from projecting piers. At the east end is a gently curving balcony with panel motifs and plain timber hand rail. The space beneath the balcony has been partly enclosed and late 20th century doors inserted at either side. Beyond this later work, however, the original two leaf timber panelled door into the gym space remains and leads to the stairs which access the balcony above. There are few school gymnasiums listed as individual structures; the gymnasium adjoining Homerton College, Cambridge (Grade II, 1914) being the most direct comparator in date, but differing considerably in style. Nevertheless, within the context of interwar school buildings, the former gymnasium now known as John Ray House has architectural distinction, quality and retains significant features satisfying the listing criteria for a building of this type and date. <2>