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

P AGE N O : 14 The Gatehouse contains about ten rooms besides offices, of which four form a Porter’s Lodge and six are Assistant Masters’ Sitting Rooms and Bedrooms. Behind the Main Block is an enclosed Playground with (a covered) Playing Shed and Carpenter’s Shop and one Fives Court. Behind the Chapel is a large walled kitchen garden with a range of glass houses about 70ft long, and there is a small enclosed Masters’ Garden. There are also five pigsties. The Quadrangle is neatly laid out with graveled carriage drives and walks and turf with some shrubs and flower beds in front of the houses, but one position (the site of future buildings) has not yet been put into order. The stabling across the road is built in brick and tiles in a superior style, and includes two loose boxes, two stalls, washing box, Harness Room and Double Coach House with loft and man’s room over. Immediately opposite the school across the Woodstock Road are 18 acres of land extending to the Oxford and Birmingham Canal and affords space for capital cricket and football fields, and on the lower part of it a Bathing Pond has been constructed. This is stated to be leased from the Duke of Marlborough for nine years unexpired, at a rent of about £140-£150 (£24,360- £26,100 today) per annum. No commercial value attaches to this lease and the only question is whether it forms an element of weakness lest anything objectionable should hereafter be put up just opposite the school or whether an exorbitant rent or price may not be exacted for it. On the other hand, the Quadrangle and buildings are very fairly self-contained and I presume that land might always be hired for a cricket field within a short walking distance. I find that the drainage of the whole of the buildings is received by a large cesspool upon the lower part of the leased land, part of which is used in some measure as a small Sewage Farm or garden. If this land were lost, I fear that even if cesspools were constructed on the other side of the road it would not be possible to get rid of the effluent’. Mr. Tuckett’s extensive report also alludes to long conversations with Algernon Simeon who appears to have come across very well and possibly served to give the eventual overall report a favourable outcome. On the sewerage issue, Simeon stated that the Oxford Local Board was already considering a new extension of the Oxford Drainage network to include the Summertown area and Tuckett noted: ‘Looking to the buildings in progress along the road between the School and city I should think such a result probable’. Simeon advised that the ‘whole property’ had so far cost him £45,000 (£7,830,000 today). Out of this total amount £8,902 £1,550,688 today) is ‘attributed to the Chapel and its fittings’ - the assessor felt that the Chapel was far too excessive both in size and cost. Tuckett’s own value assessment of the other School buildings was £30,000 (£5,220,000 today) , the boundary walls £1000 (£174,000 today) , the (owned) land £2,500 £435,000 today) and the Sick-House and Stabling £1,000 (£174,000 today) making a total of £34,500 (£6,003,000 today) In conclusion the surveyor felt that despite certain reservations, the School had a good reputation and should not ‘be allowed to shut up for want of £20,000’ (£3,480,000 today) The Warden had confirmed that in every year that the School had been in North Oxford, net income had been in excess of £2,000 (£1,640,600 today). Of the £20,000 now desired, Simeon wanted the inclusion of £1,000 (£82,300 today) for a new Gymnasium and £1,000 (£82,300 today) for upgrading his own residence. With Simeon obviously working his legendary charm, the surveyor was able to give the bankers a positive view and while not committing to an overall judgment on how much risk this large loan carried, wrote: ‘while I cannot say that it is one as to which I would take responsibility of advising Trustees that it (the School) forms a thoroughly good security for so large a sum as £20,000, but if any client who has full power over his own funds inclines to lend that sum, he might do so with considerable confidence, that there would be extremely little risk of his losing any part of the money’ Simeon got his loan