Adrian Farmer: On The Old School House.
Adrian Farmer (Heritage Co-ordinator for the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site), met with some of the ‘Claire’s School Solutions’ team recently to talk about the history of the Old School House on Green Lane. We were also keen to show him our plans for the development of our new office space and how we are passionate about staying true to the original nature and features of the building.
We moved through the more modern part of the building, added by Robeys and then utilised by Nonnos Italian for many years, before being modernised and renovated by Claire’s School Solutions to create 3 distinct business spaces, to be entered from the patio entrance.
When on the first floor, accessed from the back staircase – originally installed by the Strutts- we were able to enter the original part of the building to discuss its history.
Tell us about the building's history!
We asked Adrian how it was used by the Unitarians of Belper.
“It started out as a meeting house for the Presbyterians, who split into the Unitarians and Trinitarians…It’s quite amazing that the Unitarians were quite a young organisation and yet they were soon here in Belper. And we wonder if Strutt came to Belper because he was a Unitarian, and whether he knew he would find a sympathetic a group of people here.”
Once the Unitarians had built their own chapel further down Green Lane, the building was then used as a Sunday School from 1855 when John Strutt built an extra floor and the upstairs became a second schoolroom. Adrian went on to explain how Sunday School was hugely important in the lives of children who were expected to work the rest of the week.
“Previously there had been no schooling for the lower classes, so Strutt’s Sunday School was, originally, literally what we would recognise as school…the children were working from Monday through to a half day on Saturdays and the only time they could get a chance of schooling would be on a Sunday. So they’d be expected to come back to learn”.
At Claire’s, we truly realise the importance of education and cannot imagine what it would have been like to only attend school on a Sunday! How different times are now!
We asked Adrian if there was anything he particularly wanted us to honour within our renovations.
“The most important part really is the frontage and it’s looking a little bit tired because it’s right up to the street”.
It was certainly a fortuitous moment when two of our team, Laura and Holly, realised this beautiful building, although it was looking tired, was available and could possibly be our new home, if given tender loving care.
There were other gems of history that Adrian shared with us. One surprising event from World War Two, was when a bomber dropped explosive bullets, which came past St Peters down the High Street, towards the mills.
“It was a summer’s day, windows open, and one bullet went straight through an open window, landed in a box room where somebody had their winter blankets. It hit halfway down the stack and burned a hole in the blankets, but the weight of the blankets actually put the fire out.”
Belper Anniversary Celebrations.
We are very excited to be working towards the sympathetic restoration of The Old School House, and will be keen to be part of Belper’s 250th anniversary as a cotton mill town next July, marking the first mill built by Strutts and what would have been Jedediah’s 300th birthday. Many events are planned but the Claire’s team are most excited about the return of the donkey races (yes these did used to happen down Green Lane!). Even though this time round, it will be with hobby horses.
Another surprising anecdote was that our current home, in Unity Mill, is reputedly one of the world’s first bread factories. However, it couldn’t have been as successful as Hovis or Warburtons, because even the workhouse workers wouldn’t eat it!
We hope to be reopening in the coming months in time for the celebrations. We will be looking forward to showing Belper residents how we have renovated this iconic building which is such an integral part of Belper’s rich history.
Give us a follow at https://www.instagram.com/theoldschoolhouserenovations?igsh=Nm04ZnNpMnNveXBu
to see how the renovations are progressing.
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