Watts Naval School was originally the Norfolk County School, a boarding school set up to serve the educational needs of the 'sons of farmers and artisans'. The school was later operated by Dr Barnardo's until closure in 1953.

History

Norfolk County School

Norfolk County School stood on the summit of a wooded hill with excellent views across the Wensum Valley near the village of

North Elmham North Elmham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,428 in 624 households at the 2001 census, including Gateley and increasing slightly to 1,433 at the 2011 Census. For ...

. It was surrounded by of land in Bintry parish in the Bintry (or

Bintree Bintree is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England, about nine miles (14 km) south-east of Fakenham. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 300, increasing to 329 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government ...

as it is sometimes written) Hills. Norfolk County School was a boarding school founded by Prebendary

Joseph Lloyd Brereton Prebendary Joseph Lloyd Brereton, (19 October 1822 – 15 August 1901), was a British clergyman, educational reformer and writer, who founded inexpensive schools for the education of the middle classes. Through his work and writings he influenc ...

to serve the educational needs of the ''sons of farmers & artisans'' as part of his ''experiment in County Education''. The foundation stone was laid on Easter Monday 1873 by Edward Prince of Wales (later to become

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

). The school opened in 1874. The school also had an open-air swimming pool. The property consisted of a central building, with a principal's House attached to the north end of the building. A laundry was provided at the south end of the intersection. At the north end of the fifty-four-acre site was a gardener's cottage. The western boundary of the property was marked by the

River Wensum The River Wensum is a chalk river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare, despite being the larger of the two rivers. The river is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation. The Wensum is ...

, and an open-air 70 ft by 30 ft swimming bath was provided next to the river. A boat house owned by the school also stood on the banks of the river, and a cricket ground was provided on the eastern side of the main building. A chapel, built of Bath stone, was erected in 1883 and consecrated on 16 October that year. In 1884 Brereton succeeded in getting railway access to the school through the

County School railway station ''County School railway station'' is on the Mid-Norfolk Railway in Norfolk, England; it will serve the villages of North Elmham and Guist once services resume. It is 17 miles 40 chains (28 km) down the line from Wymondham and is the norther ...

built at the foot of the hill. Despite the improved communications, the school roll never reached the 300 for which it was designed, partly as a result of the depression in agriculture.

Watts Naval School

The school was closed in July 1895. On 4 June 1901 its premises were sold to Edmund Hannay Watts. Following his death, his eldest son, Fenwick Shadforth Watts, had the fabric of the building renovated and furnished, at a cost of several thousand pounds, before handing it over to Dr Barnardo's Homes. As a result, it was turned into a home for up to 300 orphans and destitute boys under the charge of Dr T. J. Barnardo and was opened informally on 9 March 1903. The establishment was then used for the training of selected Barnardo's boys for a life at sea in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

or mercantile Marine. The school was opened on 17 April 1906, by Viscount Coke, later Earl of Leicester. It was classified as a Secondary Technical School, with the technical instruction being nautical and with musical training for boys intending on being enlisted in the Royal Marines or other military bands. The first captain of the school was Commander H. C. Martin, a former captain of the

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...

Warspite, working with a staff of fifteen. The rector of Kettlestone was appointed as Honorary Chaplain, and medical care was provided by Dr Rackham from North Elmham. Initially only one hundred boys were sent to the school, with the remaining two hundred arriving in batches of fifty to assist with the establishment of naval discipline. The building was only slightly altered from its former use as a public school. The central hall was fitted with a heavy glass roof, and a fire escape was added to the eastern side of the building, allowing it to be evacuated within three minutes. Every part of the school was heated with hot water and an

acetylene Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure ...

gas supply was installed. The central hall, classrooms, reception rooms and staff rooms were on the ground floor. The first floor was used for staff bedrooms, boys' dormitories, linen and the storage of dry goods. The third floor included the dining hall, kitchens, dining rooms and more dormitories. The bathrooms, engine room (boilers) and offices were located in the basement. The school was also provided with an isolation hospital, built in the grounds. The boys were woken at 6.30am, after which they attended morning prayers before having breakfast at 7.30am. At 9.00am they would go to the central hall and fall in for inspection by the captain, before marching off for lessons and drill. Dinner was served at 12.30pm, with the boys falling in for more school and drill at 2.00pm. At 4.00pm they had a half-hour's special drill training. Tea was served at 5.30pm, with evening prayers and bed two hours later. The chapel was enlarged in 1926, when transepts were added. It seated all three hundred boys and the school's masters. The pulpit was given as a memorial to B. Watson, Esq, and two

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows were added in memory of Frederick Humby, an old Watts boy who lost his life in the ''Titanic'' sinking of 1912.

Closure

The school was closed in 1953,Watts Naval School
when the remaining boys were transferred to other Barnardo's training ship establishments, mostly on the south coast. Old boys concerned about the chapel were assured that Barnardo's Clerical Organising Secretary, working with the

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher. The see is in the ...

, would be making arrangements for its preservation and that the relocation of the memorial tablets and windows was being considered.

Today

The main school building was demolished and its site was returned to grass apart from the captains 5 bedroom house which is the last remainders of the school, the rest became a poultry farm. After the closure of the poultry operation, four seven-bedroom houses were built on the site. The chapel survives as a private residence, after some years of being used as a piggery. The chapel memorial windows were removed by Barnardo's in 1978 and sold at auction. They are now in private hands in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Some of the other school buildings are still in ruins, although most have been renovated and restored to domestic use. The road remains private from the bridge over the river Wensum up to Bintree woods and is maintained by the residents.

Notable old boys

* Captain Frank Beck, King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

land agent in its public school days. *

Fred Copeman Frederick Bayes Copeman OBE (1907–1983) was an English volunteer in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War, commanding the British Battalion. He is also notable for contributing to London's air raid defences during the Second ...

OBE. Royal Navy mutineer, and subsequently Commander of the

British Battalion The British Battalion (1936–1938; officially the Saklatvala Battalion) was the 16th battalion of the XV International Brigade, one of the mixed brigades of the International Brigades, during the Spanish Civil War. It comprised British and ...

of the

XV International Brigade The Abraham Lincoln Brigade ( es, Brigada Abraham Lincoln), officially the XV International Brigade (''XV Brigada Internacional''), was a mixed brigade that fought for the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War as a part of the Internationa ...

. *Sir

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

, a famous British actor, was born at Watts Naval School, where his father was a master.

Heritage

* A photographic display, and some small items from the school are displayed in the museum at

. * An information board charting the history of the school was unveiled beside the school's graveyard during the centenary celebrations.

References

External links

Hidden Norfolk article on school
{{coord, 52.7647, 0.9555, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Boarding schools in Norfolk Boys' schools in Norfolk Defunct schools in Norfolk Educational institutions established in 1903 1903 establishments in England Educational institutions disestablished in 1953 * 1953 disestablishments in England