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

P AGE N O : 47 today) - in total £14,000 (£1,185,800 today). Not included would be the removal of the Crystal Palace toilet School House block nor the cost of the central heating involved. New Chapel ventilation system (via ‘an apparatus in the roof’) is proving very satisfactory: six windows are ‘made to open’ as well as two new ventilators being fitted to the roof and a door cut into the Chancel at the northeast corner New oak block flooring installed in the Chapel replaces the old tiled floor of the aisle Two new houses built in Field House Drive to accommodate two Masters, Alan Wilding and the Reverend Cedric Sowby, who fund the work ‘but with the backing of the School’ ‘The mysterious building in the corner of the Sanatorium garden is a transforming chamber, which was erected by the Electricity Company of Oxford in Mr. Sing’s time on lease which has now expired. It thus falls to us, and will be fitted up for an Annex to the Sanatorium as a doctor’s waiting room for ‘out patients’ which should be ready in the Summer Term’. Later still this is used for surgical cases (sometimes referred to as an Operating Theare) under the auspices of the School Doctor, Dr. Frankland West (March Chronicle) The field (4.5 acres) next to St. Edward’s Avenue acquired on a 30-year lease from the Duke of Marlborough - already ploughed and harrowed it will, in time, give the School a further full-size football ground and a smaller one as well. Additionally, it will give much easier access to the Wolvercote fields (March Chronicle) Thanks to the efforts of ‘Palmer’ (the School Gardener) during the early summer, all the gardens under his care, ‘the Quadrangle, the old playground by the School Shop, the garden around the Sanatorium, the open space around the huts have been tamed’ and added thanks go to the Reverend Menzies’s efforts in turning the Outdoor Pool into ‘a paradise’ (June Chronicle) Boathouse in full use with a gravel path provided by the Thames Conservancy and large raft is in position. ‘Much still needs to be done’ (June Chronicle) Big steam-ploughs level the newly acquired field behind Field House. (Corfe today) This same equipment is then used to reduce the steep slope between the Outdoor Bath and the Keble ground and when sown will provide two tennis courts Blower on the organ eventually repaired by the Electricity Company Work commences on the subway under the Woodstock Road between the Quadrangle and the sports fields. ‘It is an extremely complicated business, for the high road and its footpaths contain a wonderful complication of underground lines of drainage, water, gas and electricity’ (July Chronicle) A new entrance at the southern-eastern end of Big School constructed, also outside stairs are ‘well advanced’ Dining Hall enlargement commences - due to be finished in 1929 More problems in the Outdoor Bath, traced (eventually) to a ‘large leak’ where the School pipe left the main The remaining portion of the old greenhouse has been re-erected near the furnace of the Armoury New goods entry in the north wall boundary (later ‘Field House Gate’) is in place opposite the north side of the School Shop to South Parade