The Building of St Edward's School: A Chronology (1870 - 2020)

P AGE N O : 13 Instructor (July Chronicle). Building mostly paid for by parents (£300 (£52,200 today) and Simeon himself £700 (£121,800 today) (Hill, 1963) The Gymnasium and Indoor Bath were the final two additions to the School for which Simeon was responsible (Simeon, 1898 Roll) Changing Rooms (‘ Chaggers ’) - ( Harry Wilkinson Moore Design ) completed against the north perimeter wall A lengthy report for the School’s Trustees dated 25 th February 1886 by Philip Tuckett, a surveyor working for Davidson, Burch, Whitehead & Davidsons of London, followed a visit made to inspect the School at the request of Algernon Simeon to help obtain an advance of £20,000 (£3,480,000 today) ‘on mortgage’. Within Tuckett’s report is a description of the School at that time (Box 15) as follows: ‘The School consists of a large nearly square piece of Freehold Land between five and six acres, fronting the Woodstock Road and with a side frontage on the north to a cross road connecting it with the Banbury Road. Across this road, another small Freehold has been bought consisting of a small house (‘The Hollies’) used as a Sanatorium or Sick House and a plot of land adjoining on which Mr. Simeon has erected his stabling. The site first described has been enclosed from the roads (but not on the other sides) by stone walls and upon it has been erected a set of School buildings partly surrounding, and if the design was ever fully completed intended to entirely surround - a large central Quadrangle. They are substantially built chiefly in red brick with stone dressings, stone stairs, plain iron balustrades, iron window sashes; and while the design is handsome and appropriate and the accommodation, so far as I could judge good and well arranged, the fittings are plain and inexpensive and I do not see that much money has been unnecessarily spent except as to the Chapel which is costly beyond what is usually provided. The building to the left or north contains the Warden’s residence communicating by doors with the main School House and having kitchens and offices in common. The private apartments include a Vestibule Entrance Hall and rather small Dining and Drawing Rooms and study, three good bedrooms on the first (floor) and three others on the second floor. The adjoining block contains on the ground floor - a Dining Hall (60ft by 24ft), six form rooms, two (Masters’) private rooms, six Prefects’ Studies, boys’ lavatories etcetera, and the kitchens and other domestic offices with a steam engine working on pump heating apparatus. On the First Floor are two large dormitories for 30 and 25 boys respectively, nine or ten private rooms, bathrooms etc. On the Second Floor are two other large dormitories with sundry smaller rooms and bathrooms. There is cellarage under only a very small part. A Cloister leads from this block to the Chapel and to the central part of the School Block (Big School) beyond. This latter is immediately opposite the main entrance and contains a School Room on the first floor (86ft long by 28ft wide), approached by two staircases and under it are the School Library (50ft by 20ft), a class room and the Masters’ Common Room; these rooms are heated by hot water pipes. The Chapel, built of local limestone, is about 90 or 100ft long and has a small tower with massive stone walls containing an expensive block and a peal of four bells and an Ante-Chapel in the Vestry. It also has an organ loft containing an organ and six stained glass windows in very considerable artistic merit. The south side of the Quadrangle is only partly occupied at present with a Master’s Boarding House. This is built around a central area and contains in the basement, kitchens and other usual offices with heating apparatus. On the ground floor is a Vestibule Entrance Hall, dining room about 18ft by 17ft, a drawing room about 18ft by 15ft with a bow (window), a study 15ft by 14ft, Butler’s Pantry and bedroom and other offices. (There is) a Boys’ Dining Room 33ft 9in by 19ft, a (Boys’) Common Room 33ft by 16ft divided by cubicles into 18 studies, a Museum 19ft by 15ft and two Prefects’ Studies. On the first floor are two dormitories, two best bedrooms and three smaller ones or Dressing Rooms and on the second floor is one large dormitory, day and night nurseries, four small bedrooms, Work Room, bathroom, closets and there is a Servants’ Attic above.