Mostyn House School

The school pictured in 2015

Mostyn House School was a school that was originally opened in Tarvin by Edward Henry Price, and moved to Parkgate, Cheshire, in 1855.[1] From 1862 until it closed in 2010,[2] it was run by the Grenfell family, originally as a boys' boarding school, and from 1985 as a co-educational day school.

Design

The school's chapel, now a Grade II* listed building, was designed by Frederick Fraser and Warburton, with input by the headmaster of the school, A. G. Grenfell. Construction work began in 1895 and continued for two years. It is built in red Ruabon brick with terracotta dressings, and has a red-tiled roof with a finial at the east end. The chapel consists of a nave and chancel in a single range, an apsidal east end, and a west bellcote. The furnishings are in collegiate style, designed by Frederick Fraser. In the windows is painted glass made by Morton and Company of Liverpool.[3][4] The school and its chapel are Grade II listed buildings.[4][5]

Extensive building work to expand the school's facilities was carried out between 1890 and 1893; this included construction of a dining room, dormitories, bathrooms, a swimming pool and a covered playground. The frontage of the school on The Parade, Parkgate, was buttressed and decorated with its distinctive black and white appearance in 1932.

Carillon

The school's carillon was commissioned in 1918 to commemorate old boys who had died in the war. Upon the closure of the school in 2010 the bells were transported and reinstalled at Charterhouse School in line with the wishes of A.G. Grenfell who wished that if ever Mostyn House ceased to be a school the carillon would be offered to Charterhouse so "that they may go on speaking to English boys as long as England lasts".[6]

Notable alumni

Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865–1940), medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador, was born in Parkgate and was a pupil at the school.[7] The 6th Duke of Westminster's children attended Mostyn House, including Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster.[8]

Other notable alumni include:

References

  1. ^ Greatorex, Vanessa (2014). Parkgate & Neston Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1445635729.
  2. ^ Barker, Irena (11 June 2010). "Recession finally claims historic school that survived Hitler's bombs". Times Educational Supplement. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  3. ^ Hartwell, Claire; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 523, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  4. ^ a b Historic England, "Chapel of Mostyn House School, Parkgate (1387786)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 August 2013
  5. ^ Historic England. "Mostyn House School (Grade II) (1401335)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Godalming, World War I Carillon". Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  7. ^ History of the School, Mostyn House School, retrieved 20 February 2008[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ James, Erwin (25 September 2012). "Edwina Grosvenor". The Guardian. London.