The Old School, Kingsdown Road

The first school for village children was opened in 1847 in Kingsdown Road, then Cuckold's Row.
The building, which is listed, is still there today. Currently it houses the village library and a two private dwellings.
The decision to build the school was made at a meeting of interested persons in the Red Lion public house on 31 March 1845. (It was quite common to hold formal meetings in the local public houses in those days)
The Village Curate, the Rev Edward Boys, James Temple and his son, the owners of a private school ,the Cliffe Academy, William Pilcher, James Pilcher and others met to form a committee to raise funds for the building of the school.
By 1846 the committee had raised enough money to put the work out to tender and the building was ready by January 1847. The first teacher was Mrs Pilcher who was paid a penny a day. The school was enlarged several times and by the 1950's had over 100 pupils. Part of the current Bowls club opposite the school was rented by the school as an additional classroom.
The school closed during the Second World War but reopened and was in use until 1970 when a new village school opened in Sea Street.