Wilderspin National School

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Wilderspin National School

by LissaT ^Pro @ Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 – 09:55:30 am

Back on September 9th 2007 I blogged about my visit on a Heritage Open Day to the Wilderspin National School in Barton. It was then a ruin.

On Monday my colleagues and I spent the morning in the restored building where we will be teaching the KS2 Junior schoolroom where children will spend a half day at school in 1897. The building is now absolutely fantastic - really authentic where it needs to be, and comfortably modern and convenient where that is more appropriate. Ian and his crew have done a marvellous job, and I can hardly wait to start working there.

The 1897 classroom 16 months ago

Hilary teaching a class there at the opening day last week: very naughty round shoulders - she said that she couldn't find where the backboard had been put until after the session was over.

Here are a couple more images lifted from the media.
Yes, he really is lighting real gaslights. This is the Wilderspin Infant classroom which has simple gas flames appropriate to the original building as it was when Samuel Wilderpin himself taught there using his pioneering methods, and there are gas mantles in the 1897 classroom.

This is the reconstructed Wilderspin playground which will soon be surrounded by flowerbeds. The open door in the background leads to the restored 10 hole privy.

Fortunately for modern visitors this is only for show and there are very nice modern facilities inside together with an exhibition about Wilderspin and the history of the school.

The school is open to the public (free) from 10 till 5 Thursday to Sunday, and school parties can book through the North Lincs Museum Education Service 01724 843533. I am longing for lots of schools to book!
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15 Comments to Wilderspin National School

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- Pam (Visitor)
- Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 @ 01:39:35 pm
This is superb Lissa

I will send a link to people who I know in Yorkshire who may well have connections to Primary Schools that may like to consider it a venue for an educational visit.

I hope you have lots of visitors - I think you will be in your element.
- - LissaT ^Pro
  - Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 @ 02:56:38 pm
  Sadly the project's own website does not seem to have been updated since last August, and the Barton town one seems to have hit a similar lack of forward motion. There are quite a few bits if you google, but since Wilderspin National School, Queen Street School and St. Peter's School all produce relevant, but different results it can be a bit time consuming. There are some video clips on the local TV news sites. The Museum Education website also gives it a mention.
  
  When Hilary told me who the project's boss was she explained him as "Ian who was Vicky before Tracey" which gave a wonderful, but very misleading picture of Ian. What she meant was Ian who was the Museum Education Officer before Tracey and then Vicky held the same post. I like my first interpretaion better.
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 @ 09:23:14 pm
So have I got this right, this will be like a museum then, where children can come and experience a lesson from the 19th century?
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- LissaT ^Pro
- Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 @ 10:41:52 pm
Yes. Up until last term we did this at Normanby Hall, but it was only ever a stop-gap until this school was restored. We also do another twenty or so history and natural history workshops at Normanby Hall, Baysgarth House, the museum and at schools over a fifty or sixty mile radius in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. several of those also involve historical role play.
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- lizdavies
- Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009 @ 10:54:23 pm
It does look very good!
- - LissaT ^Pro
  - Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009 @ 11:17:48 pm
  Shame you are too far away to bring your class, but you and the A.P.s could go and have a look round next time you are back in God's own county. As an infant teacher you will be fascinated by the Wilderspin educational philosophy.
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- lilian1
- Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2009 @ 10:56:16 am
Lissa saw your post what an interesting job you have what do the children think of the victorian school funny enough me and my husband are watching the Victorian way of life on a farm being shown on the BBC its quite fascinating how they use to live they have also got a book about it which I want to buy
- - LissaT ^Pro
  - Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2009 @ 11:20:34 am
  The vast majority of the children really love being Victorian children. Every now and again we get one who can't make the imaginative leap and either gets upset by the strictness (despite all our explanations of role play) or decides to act up and spoil it for the rest. However, the children who don't enter into the spirit of the re-enactment happen about once a term, and can usually be dealt with in role.
  
  I too am loving the Vctorian Farm. Did you see the earlier series "Tales from the Green Valley" by the same people about a seventeenth century farm?
  - - lilian1
    - Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2009 @ 11:33:31 am
    No alas missed that one which is a shame still they might repeat it again hopefuly its fascinating because nothing was wasted in those days which might be revelent for todays credit crunch we could learn a thing or too it opens your eyes doesnt it
    - - LissaT ^Pro
      - Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2009 @ 01:51:52 pm
      In one of our Victorian workshops we teach the children about Victorian recycling by way of a rag rug and a pair of clogs which need mending.
      - lilian1
        
        Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2009 @ 05:20:31 pm
        
        its great that very little was wasted you can learn so much I will try and get the book they had a pretty tough life really when you think about it
        
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- Robert Howard (Visitor)
- http://www.local-history.co.uk
- Thursday, Feb. 05, 2009 @ 12:28:25 pm
Hello Lissa
Found your blog by chance. I'm about to post a story about Wilderspin National School museum to our the Local History Online website (www.local-history.co.uk). Like you, I saw it many years ago when it was all boarded up and crumbling after John French contacted Local History Magazine, which my wife and I then published (it's still going with a new owner since 2006). It is a truly remarkable achievement and those involved can be very proud of what they have achieved. At the open day a couple of weeks ago, I chatted with John, Dr Jim Robertson and Rex Russell, the local historian who discovered the link between the school and Samuel Wilderspin. Barton is such a remarkable town with so much history and well worth two days or more of anyone's time. I'm coming back in May for a couple of days with my wife.
- - LissaT ^Pro
  - Thursday, Feb. 05, 2009 @ 01:18:10 pm
  Have you seen St. Peter's church since it was re-opened last year? And the oldest house in Barton with its occasional open days?
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- Nigel Stutt (Visitor)
- Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 @ 09:47:53 pm
I'm glad the School has finally opened. I was the architect that worked on the project for most of its formulative life from ruin to (almost) completion. I will have to make a point to visit the finished building now to see the full transformation, last time I saw the building it was still full of scaffolding. I'm glad to see the authetic gas lights have been able to be installed - the Wilderspin Room looks really good. It's especially interesting to see views of the finished building, as I remember all too well what it looked like when I first went into it to do the first survey that was quite a shock. And dealing with the pigeons was particularly nasty! Well done to Ian and John, all the hard work was well worth it. And good luck for the future.
- - LissaT ^Pro
  - Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 @ 01:49:28 am
  What a shame you weren't at the opening do.
  
  I heard a story that English Heritage insisted that you use slates from the same quarry as the originals although the best slate was now worked out and the modern ones were much thicker and heavier so the roof timbers has to be strengthened or replaced to carry the weight. Is it true?
  
  I'm interested because a similar condition has been placed on our church roof.
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