St Edmund's

Everyday I think about how lucky we are as a school to be based in such an extraordinary location.

It is an inspiring place to live, work and learn. However, it also has some quirky features…

In today’ service, the Chaplain asked four students and a teacher to use the layout of the Chapel to locate Magnetic North.

We got some interesting responses and then checked the answer on a compass.

Of course, St Edmund’s being St Edmund’s, Magnetic North was not quite where it should have been!

However, it got me thinking about our site on St Thomas Hill…

History geek that I am, I thought you might enjoy five facts about our location…

• The land was donated to the school by cleric and philanthropist Samuel Warneford
• The school was built on this site in 1855

• Archaeologists have identified Bronze Age artefacts on top of St Thomas Hill – suggesting it was a major early industrial settlement.
• Iron Age remains including fire pits, refuse pits, metal-working residue and the remains of a large round house were discovered in 2012 during the excavation of the site of the School Astro.
• The Water Tower was built in 1928 on top of an underground reservoir and is surrounded by World War II fortifications.

I would encourage any of you interested in the history of the school to read Jock Asbury-Bailey’s excellent “Foundation on a Hill”.