Summerfields Prep School 1903-1966
. The records show that the school remained in active use up to the start of World War ll where the 1939 census records the Headmaster Edward K Barber born 12 February 1889 and his wife Gertrude K E Barber born 27 December 1893 were there as well as staff and students. Edward Barber is recorded as ARP Warden for the school.
During the war years. Education uses ceased during the war and the Borough Council used the school. Education uses started at the end of hostilities and continued until the 1960s. See Wikepedia
During the war years. Education uses ceased during the war and the Borough Council used the school. Education uses started at the end of hostilities and continued until the 1960s. See Wikepedia
Memories of a Great House
by Peter Wills H&SLO 19th August 1972 Walking around Summer Fields, the imposing Georgian mansion on the 47 acre Summer Fields estate in Bohemia Road, St. Leonards, recently, one was reminded irresistibly of Evelyn Waugh's 'Brides-head Revisited.' Making a last tour of inspection of the property was the Museum Curator, Mr J. Manwaring Baines and the Senior Planner from the Corporation Planning Department, Mr R. A. Haskell. Both Mr Haskell and Mr Baines will report back to the Town Clerk on whether there are any historical items or architectural features left worth preserving. The building: will be demolished shortly to make way for the new civic centre complex. Showing us round the school was Mr Sid Cole a former woodwork master who is now the school's custodian. The first thing that strikes the visitor is the grandeur of the beautiful bifurcated staircase in the main hall. Made of pine wood and with delicate wrought-iron ban:nister work, the staircase is a fine piece of craftsmanship. Mr Haskell said that it should be preserved but the problem was the cost of removing it intact and finding a suitable building to put it in. “You could say the new public library, for example, but the planners there will naturally want to have their own staircase. Still, it would be a tragedy if it were just chopped up. Walking through the emptv rooms, Mr Cole recalled the past when the building was filled with 65 schoolboys. Nearly all the furniture, paintings and carpets have been sold at a recent auction and all that remains is just an empty shell. In one of the rooms are the rows of boards recalling -the past pupils of the school, which closed in 1966, when only two pupils were registered, J. Frewen and H. A. Bullough. Among the illustrious former pupils recorded were the names of the Marquess of Lansdowne, the Marquis of Blandford, the Duke of Marlborough, Lord Arran, Prince Rainier of Monaco and Lord Charles Spencer Churchill. The school's Roll of Honour to the dead of two world wars is now installed in St. Peter's Church. It includes the name of the Hon. C, Furness. a lieutenant in the Welsh Guards who was awarded the Victoria Cross in World War II. Mr Cole recalled the days when the parquet flooring “shone like glass”. There was a 60 yr old char lady who used to polish this up . It was her pride & joy. We walked into a front room study. The solid mahogany bookshelves had been removed to the Grove School. In a corner of the room stood a dusty old piano; it had been scarred and ruined by initials and carving. “People get in. here and carve their initials over everything. It's a tragedy really. We never had any trouble at all in the old school. Nobody wrote on walls or carved up furniture in those days,” said Mr Cole. We moved into the dining room — a hut which was built by the army during the First' World War — and into the adjoining kitchens where the ancient iron oven which was installed when the house was built in 1824 by J. Bryant, ironmonger of Hastings. Mr Baines said he wanted to preserve the oven. “If you let these things go they are gone for ever, it is important to keep these mementoes of the past,” he said. Mr Cole pointed to a window ledge in the dining room. “Do you remember all the beautiful Georgian silver cups and vases that used to be kept there?” he asked. “They've all been sold now in London.” It was depressing walking past the endless empty picture frames in the corridors with the dates of past school photographs printed underneath. Somebody played a note on the piano and the sound hung in the dusty air reminding one of the passage of time. Outside we walked to the back of the house where the original farmhouse had been I built. Mr Cole had found a well there which was at least 60 feet deep. In the midst, of the thick rhododendron bushes, which cluster round the house, there was: a short pathway going into the ground. We followed Mr. Cole with. his torch down into a circular brick building. It was originally used as a cool house to store meat and provisions, ice being delivered through a hatch-way cut in the wall. See the Bohemia Ice House pages. “We used to grow all our own vegetables and I used to keep the potatoes in here. Before that it was used as a cold storage room for meat. One old gardener around here, a Mr Smith who must be 80, remembers them keeping venison in here for the boys”, Mr Cole said. Outside again, Mr Haskell, Mr Baines and Mr Cole looked at the imposing front of tbe house. Although built in 1824 in a Georgian style, Mr Haskell said that some parts of the house had a Jacobean look. After their tour of inspection of all that remains of a once famous school, Mr Baines and Mr Haskell will have the difficult task of deciding what is to be saved from the demolition hammer when work begins shortly. Ironically, the house was used as a Town Hall during the war because of bombing, but not all of Summerfields will disappear. The council are considering setting aside a room in the Civic Centre with mementoes from the house on display. The room will be called the Summerfields Room. Peter Wills 5th August 1972 H & St L Observer South side Summerfields HouseView of Summerfields House from the south.
Bridge - The ponds at SummerfieldsBridge over the stream Summerfields Wood
Wooden bridge over the ponds at Summerfields
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Summerfields House mid 20th centurySummerfields House from the south
Photo of the south side of Summerfields House with reference to a new civic centre
Staff & Students of Summerfields SchoolStaff at Summerfields School
Staff of Summerfields School.
PT & Drill Summerfields SchoolPT Drill on the St Leonards Cricket Ground.
PT & Drill on the St Leonards Cricket Ground
DY 348 - Transport Cricket XIDY 348 Transport for the Cricket XI
DY 348 A local registration number - How the cricket XI travelled to matches early in the century.Mr & Mrs ED Compton stand beside the bus.
Hay Feast St LeonardsHay Feast St Leonards
Summerfields St Leonards - Hay Feast - In the background note the uniformed maids.
Gymnasium - Summerfields SchoolGymnasium at Summerfields School
The Gymnasium Summerfields School.
View from the terrace - looking southView from the terrace looking south - .
View from the terraceView from the terrace - note the stone greyhounds of the Briscos
Summerfields House - Imperial StaircaseImperal staircase at Bohemia Mansion / Summerfields School
The first thing that strikes the visitor is the grandeur of the beautiful bifurcated staircase in the main hall. Made of pine wood and with delicate wrought-iron Bannister work, the staircase is a fine piece of craftsmanship.
The DriveThe Drive Summerfields House.
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Sale of the Household & School Furniture
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Auction catalogue Summerfields School
The first step on the eventual demolition of Bohemia Mansion. A sale of the household & school furniture from the 63 year old school was held on Tuesday August 2nd 1966 by George Bray & Sons.
The building was to be used as a local school for a few years.
Demolition of Summerfields House
Hastings Borough eventually decided to demolish Summerfields House in 1972. They instructed Mainwaring Baines to inspect Summerfields House before demolition in order to establish items worth salvaging. He submitted the following list of items for possible salvage and conservation. The visit is described in the Observer article above. They identified the following items that were reported to Hastings Borough Council.
1. Lead rainwater head, west side dated 1824 - Metal rainwater head, east side dated 1927.
2. Four cast iron horse and coach pillars, two by front porch and two opposite main building.
3 Large bread oven - cast iron 8' x 4' wide in kitchen wall.Marked F. Bryant (High Street 1824 -1828)
4. Two main entrance doors in sound mahogany described as excellent workmanship
5. Two small cast iron fireplaces in the attic.
6. Main staircases not to be destroyed
( Describing the stairs. - "This is a fine piece of seasoned pine showing very little signs of wear despite its age. Heavy paint each side has helped preservation. The ironwork of the balustrade is not outstanding but is a good piece of work. It is far too good to be chopped up by the demolition men and might be saved for re-use by corporation or sold to a developer")
7. Plywood panel of boys names - no recommendation
( Referring to the panels of names: "There are thirty-two of these in the Southeast room on the ground floor. I cannot conceive that they can be of any possible use to Colonel Haig School at Oxford.Certainly not worth a place in any Summerfields room in the Town Hall")
GENERAL PURPOSE COMMITTEE
Records of General Purpose Committee Hastings Borough Council. - 27 Sept 1972 On file at Hastings Museum- Works Order No 6066 Salvage items from Summerfields and deliver to Museum Store in Waterworks Road.
Resolved to salvage items 1, 2, 3 and 5
1. Lead rainwater heads. Salvaged
2. Cast iron horse pillars. Salvaged
3. Large bread oven. Salvaged
4. Main entrance doors. Destroyed
5. Two small cast iron fireplaces. Salvaged
6. Main staircase. (NOT TO BE DESTROYED) Destroyed
7. 32 panels of boys names. Destroyed
NO ACTION ON ITEMS 4 AND 6 TO BE TAKEN
1. Lead rainwater head, west side dated 1824 - Metal rainwater head, east side dated 1927.
2. Four cast iron horse and coach pillars, two by front porch and two opposite main building.
3 Large bread oven - cast iron 8' x 4' wide in kitchen wall.Marked F. Bryant (High Street 1824 -1828)
4. Two main entrance doors in sound mahogany described as excellent workmanship
5. Two small cast iron fireplaces in the attic.
6. Main staircases not to be destroyed
( Describing the stairs. - "This is a fine piece of seasoned pine showing very little signs of wear despite its age. Heavy paint each side has helped preservation. The ironwork of the balustrade is not outstanding but is a good piece of work. It is far too good to be chopped up by the demolition men and might be saved for re-use by corporation or sold to a developer")
7. Plywood panel of boys names - no recommendation
( Referring to the panels of names: "There are thirty-two of these in the Southeast room on the ground floor. I cannot conceive that they can be of any possible use to Colonel Haig School at Oxford.Certainly not worth a place in any Summerfields room in the Town Hall")
GENERAL PURPOSE COMMITTEE
Records of General Purpose Committee Hastings Borough Council. - 27 Sept 1972 On file at Hastings Museum- Works Order No 6066 Salvage items from Summerfields and deliver to Museum Store in Waterworks Road.
Resolved to salvage items 1, 2, 3 and 5
1. Lead rainwater heads. Salvaged
2. Cast iron horse pillars. Salvaged
3. Large bread oven. Salvaged
4. Main entrance doors. Destroyed
5. Two small cast iron fireplaces. Salvaged
6. Main staircase. (NOT TO BE DESTROYED) Destroyed
7. 32 panels of boys names. Destroyed
NO ACTION ON ITEMS 4 AND 6 TO BE TAKEN
Former Pupils of the School
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Duke of Marlborough
King Hussein
Lord Arran
Prince Rainier of Monaco
Lord Charles Spencer Churchill
Lord Lucan
Marquis of Landsdowne
Marquis of Blandford
A roll of honour for the two wars is situated in St Peters Church.
Hon C Furness Lieutenant Welsh Guards Victoria Cross WWII
King Hussein
Lord Arran
Prince Rainier of Monaco
Lord Charles Spencer Churchill
Lord Lucan
Marquis of Landsdowne
Marquis of Blandford
A roll of honour for the two wars is situated in St Peters Church.
Hon C Furness Lieutenant Welsh Guards Victoria Cross WWII
Fives at Summerfields School
In memory of the pupils that perished in the Great War
The plaque shown below was fixed to the wall of the former Summerfields School Fives Courts. The interesting relic of the time when public school boys played games in Hastings was demolished by the Cricket Trustees to make way for an all weather playing area. The game of fives used
a playing court not unlike squash without a raquet.
The Fives courts that were in reasonable condition but not listed remained near to where the entrance gates to Horntye are located. They were an interesting link to the days of the public school and should have been incorporated into the offering of games at Horntye sports. With aggreement of the witless Borough Council of Hastings they were demolished and the fenced games area shown below erected.
Hastings could have retained the Summerfields School Fives Courts and allowed the game of fives to be available in Hastings on a pair of original Fives Courts. In other parts of the UK and around the world the games is now seeing a resurgance in interest in places far from any public schools. Hastings Borough Council originall owned the site before it was passed to Horntye Cricket and Hastings Development control were unable to see what was posible as they permitted the bulldozers in to build a chain link fence and a general games area.
See Wickipedia for the history of Eton Fives
a playing court not unlike squash without a raquet.
The Fives courts that were in reasonable condition but not listed remained near to where the entrance gates to Horntye are located. They were an interesting link to the days of the public school and should have been incorporated into the offering of games at Horntye sports. With aggreement of the witless Borough Council of Hastings they were demolished and the fenced games area shown below erected.
Hastings could have retained the Summerfields School Fives Courts and allowed the game of fives to be available in Hastings on a pair of original Fives Courts. In other parts of the UK and around the world the games is now seeing a resurgance in interest in places far from any public schools. Hastings Borough Council originall owned the site before it was passed to Horntye Cricket and Hastings Development control were unable to see what was posible as they permitted the bulldozers in to build a chain link fence and a general games area.
See Wickipedia for the history of Eton Fives