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| HER Number | MWB3456 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | St Bartholomew's Grammar School (Wormestall's Chantry) |
|---|
Summary
Grammar school founded at Wormstall's Chantry prior to 1466, amalgamated with St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the reign of Edward VI
Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status
- Conservation Area: Newbury Town Centre
- Scheduled Monument 1005379: LITTEN CHAPEL
Other Statuses and Cross-References
- Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01389.09.200
Monument Type(s):
Full Description
St Bartholomew's Grammar School evolved from Wormestall's Chantry, founded in 1466. The almshouses and the school seem to have been transferred to the buildings of St Barthomew's Hospital in Edward VI's reign, for in 1578 the chapel was reported as having been converted into a school house <1>. From this period, until 1814, the hospital and school were merged as one <2>. As well as the chapel, an adjacent building must have been used for the school; Willis's map of Newbury marks this building as 'The Free School' and on the City Plan of c1800 the Rev Best, the school master, is listed as its occupant <3> <4> <5>.
Best died in 1814 but his widow carried on living in the Litten House. A woodcut and oil painting from the early 19th century depict the chapel and house next to it. In 1829 certain irregularities were stated to exist in the Hospital's management, and the charity's affairs were brought before the Court of Chancery until 1841. Money was spent on repairing the property and a few years later a new school was built on the site of the old Litten House. The school reopened in 1849, continuing on this site until the opening of new buildings in 1885 on Enborne Road (the Wormestall building of the current St Bartholomew's School).
A full history of the grammar school is provided by a publication produced after a visit by the Queen in 1972 <6>. This also gives a snapshot of the facilities prior to its conversion to a co-educational comprehensive school.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Money, W. 1887. The History of Newbury. p216-25. [Monograph / SWB11828]
http://archive.org/stream/cu31924028185811 (Accessed 02/09/2013) |
| <02> | Berkshire Archaeological Society. 1935. Berkshire Archaeological Journal 1935 39. 39. In ADS Journals. 10.5284/1000017. p36-38 in St Bartholomew's Hospital, Newbury. [Article in serial / SWB12128]
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/berks_bas_2007/journal.cfm?volume=39 (Accessed 27/07/2016) |
| <03> | Willis, John. 1768. Willis' Map of the Country ten miles round Newbury, with a plan of the Town of Newbury and of Speenhamland, 1768. 2 inch to mile?. Town Map No 3 'The Free School'. [Map / SWB8040]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/50263734041 (Accessed 16/09/2021) |
| <04> | Newbury District Field Club. 1998. TRANS NEWBURY DISTRICT FIELD CLUB 1998 VOL 14 NO 2/3. p51-2. [Article in serial / SWB12918] |
| <05> | Toomer?. c 1800. Plan of The City (Newbury). [Map / SWB14084] |
| <06> | Allan, S (ed). 1972. Wherof that town hath great need - A Brief History of Saint Bartholomew's Grammar School, Newbury. [Monograph / SWB14716] |
| <07> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1924. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks IV 1924. Vol 4. p152. [Monograph / SWB10281]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4 (Accessed 24/09/2015) |
| <08> | Ditchfield and Page (eds). 1907. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks II 1907. Vol 2. p272-275. [Monograph / SWB11244]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol2 (Accessed 24/09/2015) |
| <09> | Keevil Heritage Consultancy. 2009. The Litten, Newbury, West Berkshire: Archaeological Impact Appraisal of Proposed Development. 2012 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB150209] |
Related Monuments
| MWB16161 | Litten House, Newtown Road, Newbury (The Litten) (Building) |
| MWB16462 | Luker Court, Newbury (formerly Luker building of St Bartholomew's School, and previously Newbury Girls' School) (Building) |
| MWB22193 | Site of School Room, St Bartholomew's Grammar School, Newtown Road, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB16461 | St Bartholomew's School, Newbury - Wormestall building (Building) |
| MWB3453 | St Bartholomew's Hospital (Monument) |
| MWB3454 | Litten Chapel, Newtown Road, Newbury (Building) |
| MWB3452 | St Nicolas' Church, Newbury: Chantries (Monument) |
| MWB16687 | Wormstall (Building) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
| EWB1940 | The Litten, Newbury: Heritage Impact Assessment |
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