Exhibition will uncover secrets about old Bedworth schools

[dutchman]

A school which was once the learning base for hundreds of youngsters living in Bedworth will feature in a new exhibition.



Central Schools once stood on the site in High Street where residents would now find the health centre and police station.

They were built in 1845 by the Nicholas Chamberlaine Trust in 1845 and there were two separate schools on the land, one for girls and one for boys, which both had their own headteacher, school hall and playground.

An exhibition about the schools has been developed to give anyone that is interested in exploring the town’s history the chance to find out more about them.

It is free to go along to and is based at the Bedworth Heritage Centre, where people can catch it on Tuesdays and Fridays between 10.30am and 1pm or on Saturdays between 10.30am and 3pm.

Part of the exhibition focuses on past pupils who after studying at the school went on to do something special.

Joe Castle and Herbert Toon, who became famous and played rugby for England Schoolboys are two of the ex-students who are featured.

Other colourful characters who became well-known at the schools, including a number of former teachers, are also mentioned. Some people may still remember headmaster Mr AH Lawrence or headmistress Mrs Esther Wilcox.

After being key places to learn for more than 100 years, in 1952 a new school, called Nicholas Chamberlaine School was opened.

As a result, Central Schools became a junior mixed school until 1967 when it closed down completely and all of the children were transferred to a new Canon Maggs School.

The exhibition is housed in the newly refurbished basement of the Parsonage building and it will be open to the public until March.

A whole host of school log books, plans and other memorabilia are also in the exhibition as well as a selection of the schools’ honours boards, which had been stored at the Chilvers Coton Heritage Centre for years.