Hope End Church of England School

Charles Hewitt who had moved into Hope End House around 1870 was concerned that another school should be provided for the village. As a result he set about its construction and it opened on 18th April 1874.

The Ledbury free Press reported on the 5th May: “A passage from the scriptures was read and hymns suitable to the occasion, after which the visitors and school children partook of tea. Various amusements and games were afterwards provided for the children”. John Way from Exeter was the first teacher. The school was well equipped with books, slates, etc., and ornaments for the walls will be supplied as soon as the walls are in a proper state to receive them. The school originally opened with 46 pupils split half and half boys and girls.

Between 1913 and 1918 improvements had to be made. The toilets and drainage had to be upgraded and roof repairs carried out including the rebuilding of the chimney. The heating system, which was inadequate was renewed in 1926.

In July 1955 it closed with pupils going to Ledbury or Canon Frome Secondary School. The school continued in use for the infants until April 1961 after which it was sold and converted to a dwelling.

It is a Grade 11 Listed Building in the Gothic style It is built of red sandstone with cast stone quoins, window surrounds, mullions and transoms set under a steep slate roof with decorative ridges. It has a pointed bell turret which can be seen from several distant viewpoints.

Old Infants School House, The Common, Wellington Heath, HR8 1LT

This building was originally constructed as a Wesleyan (Methodist) Chapel in the late 1830’s. It is situated towards the bottom of The Common on the eastern side, backing on to Ochre Hill. Chapter 6 of Peter Garnett’s book “A Portrait of Wellington Heath” describes in detail the history and use of the building since the Deed of Grant in 1853 around the time the chapel was converted to a school. The first paragraph of the chapter reads as follows:

In the mid 19th century the Rev Thomas Dowell and Thomas Heywood of Hope End realised that there was a need for a school in the village. A Methodist Chapel was built in the late 1830’s which was probably not successful in competition with the new church, which was built in the same year. Thomas Dowell bought the Chapel, recognising that this would be a suitable building in which to house the proposed school.

In a deed of gift dated 15th September 1853, he provided the fabric and partially endowed the school with two cottages nearby. The gift was to be administered by the Minister and Churchwardens of Wellington Heath as a Church of England School. “The school was for the education of children of the labouring, manufacturing and other poor classes of the district of Wellington Heath”.

The 1853 Deed of Grant (see copy below) declared “The instruction of the said school shall comprise the following branches of school learning namely reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, scripture, history and in the case of girls, needlework. Daily Bible reading and instruction in the Church Catechism shall be included for pupils whose parents do not object”.

The school was closed in 1955 and converted to a dwelling. It has continued as a dwelling since then. It is not clear when the internal alterations were carried out but it is likely the conversion took place in the mid 1950’s.