Wealden Times | WT265 | June 2024 | Education Supplement inside

sponsors The Priceless Education Supplement
Past
&Future
Three schools celebrate their rich heritage and look forward to bright tomorrows
150 Years in the Making at Marlborough House School
In 1874, the year Disraeli succeeded Gladstone as Prime
Minister, Thomas Hardy published ‘Far from the Madding
Crowd’ and the term ‘Impressionism’ was coined, a less notable,
but for us, no less significant event took place. In the rapidly
expanding Victorian seaside resort of Hove, Mrs Sophia
Lombe White opened a small school for boys aged 8-13 and
the ancestor of today’s Marlborough House School was born.
It is believed that our four house names; Awdry, Dunbar,
Egan and Hawkings, were chosen to commemorate the first
four boys on the school roll, as Marlborough House’s connections
with each of these families went back to the early
days of the school and each family lost a son in the Great
War. To anyone who has ever read the Thomas the Tank
Engine stories, the name Awdry will be familiar for other
reasons. The Rev. W.V. Awdry and author of the muchloved
children’s series, followed in his late half-brother’s footsteps,
attending Marlborough House from 1919-1924.
In 1930 Mrs White’s grandson, Christopher Bullick, partnered
by Headmaster Arthur Harrison, purchased the New Lodge
estate in Hawkhurst from the Hardcastle family and moved the
school to our present site. Their task was to convert a family
home built in the 18th century into a suitable educational facility
for the 25 boys who moved from Hove. Over the years, the
school facilities have proved surprisingly versatile; rooms initially
used as dormitories have become common rooms, classrooms
and offices. And although new buildings have been added and
extended along the way, as recently as 2023, the core of the
school remains the ‘main building’ – the same beautiful 18th
century house adapted now, yet again, for 21st century schooling.
Despite Arthur Harrison evacuating the school to Bidlake House
in Devon during the Second World War, it was the 1980s
before a seismic shift took place in the Marlborough House
world and the school became co-educational. The next 30 years
were a time of significant change and growth for the school.
Purpose-built school buildings have been added, staff and pupil
numbers increased, and weekly boarding and Saturday school
disappeared. And though increasing regulation has brought
an end to raft races on the Spec pond and tree houses in the
Dell, today’s pupils enjoy the kind of comfort, food, facilities
and opportunities which would be the envy of past pupils.
Mrs Sophia Lombe White would no doubt find much of the
world for which we are preparing our pupils incomprehensible
but, as Marlborough House celebrates its 150th anniversary
in 2024, she would, we hope, still recognise in ‘her’ school
our determination to give our pupils the best possible education
and preparation for life. marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk
1919 – 1924 The
Rev. W. Awdry,
author of much-loved
Thomas the Tank
Engine series, attends
Marlborough House
1985 The opening
of the Pre-Prep
building is
celebrated with
a hot air balloon
taking off from the
school pitches
The extended
Harrison
Building
today, home
to Years 3-6
1959 Pupils travel
from Marlborough
House to the
Hawkhurst Village
Fete wearing vintage
costumes and
in a stagecoach they
had renovated
1990 The
Harrison
Building is
constructed
1999 International Cricketer
David Gower (MHS 1965-1970)
returns to open the Sports Hall
priceless-magazines.com
96