FLOREAT 2016
Images supplied by College Archives
Chapel When College first moved to the Bath Road, the boys worshipped at Saint Luke’s Church. Their own Chapel (now the Dining Hall) was built in 1856 but did not prove wholly satisfactory. To celebrate the Jubilee in 1891 the Principal, Dr James, proposed the building of a new Chapel. (Incidentally Dr James, because of his rotund figure, was known as the Pot, a nickname passed on to later Headmasters). The architect of the Chapel was HA Prothero, an Old Cheltonian, and it was consecrated in 1896 by Lord Plunket, Bishop of Dublin, also an OC. The fiftieth anniversary in 1891 was marked by a whole week of celebrations
Hazelwell 1954
including a Greek play, a garden party, a cricket match against Wellington, a boat race against Shrewsbury, the inspection of the Rifle Corps and two suppers with speeches. In 1906 College bought Lake House (now Southwood) with about 14 acres of land on which to build a new Junior School. The Principal moved into Lake House which was renamed College House. The new Junior School building included a boarding house, so the junior boarders moved out of Teighmore and the boarders of Southwood House in Bath Villas moved in. However, it did not remain Southwood House for long. In 1915 Newick moved in and the name Southwood disappeared for eight years until a new home was bought in Lypiatt Road. Many College boys went on to train as officers in the armed forces and inevitably some were killed in action. In the South African War of 1899-1902, 55 died. There was discussion as to whether their memorial should be a reredos in chapel or a cross outside the main building. The fund raised enough money to create both.
Munitions The First World War brought a drop in numbers as boys rushed to volunteer. The engineering department made munitions and classes had to be rearranged as 15 masters were away on military service. Every week the list of those missing or killed in action grew longer. By 1918 at least 675 had died and the Principal, Reverend Waterfield, had written to the family of every one. Hugh Reeves (H, 1884), a wealthy solicitor, donated land to College in 1923 which is now ‘Reeves’ playing fields beside The Old Bath Road. He later sold more land, making the total area 40 acres. He also gave land in Tewkesbury as the site of a new College boat house. Lindley, a house on the corner of Sandford Road and College Road, was bought as a music school and a Musical Club was formed in 1920. There were weekly concerts in the library, which now occupied the former chapel and contained not just books but marble statues and a piano. The museum, principally a natural history collection
Museum in Big Modern (The Chatfeild-Roberts Library) 37
FEATURES
Schools’ Rackets Competition and the creation of the Rifle Corps. The annual Athletic Sports Day was a great event with a hired grandstand and lavish prizes (including riding whips and gold studs). College also flourished academically with many university scholarships being won. The number of pupils reached its peak of 722 in 1868, making Cheltenham second in size only to Eton.