The Buildings and Grounds That Housed Clare House
For most of its seventy-four years, Clare House occupied distinctive Victorian/Edwardian buildings on Oakwood Avenue in Beckenham. During wartime, it found temporary home in one of Sussex’s most magnificent country estates. Both locations shaped the school’s character and boys’ memories.
These are the physical spaces where Clare House lived.
Beckenham: The Original Home (1896-1940, 1947-1970)
Origins and Early Construction
Before Clare House, there was Merton House School at 22 Oakwood Avenue, at the junction with Overbury Avenue – a school run by an Oxford don from Merton College.
In 1895, construction began on a larger school building adjacent to this site. The following year, 1896, George Philbrick opened Clare House School in these new premises.
The Main Buildings
The school frontage on Oakwood Avenue was distinctive and imposing – Victorian institutional architecture designed to convey solidity, respectability, and permanence.
The Headmaster’s House: At the extreme left of the frontage (as viewed from Oakwood Avenue), George Philbrick lived with his large family. He later added an extra storey to accommodate them all, though the planning was imperfect – upper rooms suffered from poor water pressure, making it difficult to fill basins!
Main School Buildings: The central and right portions of the frontage housed classrooms, administrative offices, and common areas. The architecture was solid, functional, and built to last.
The Frontage: A roadside hedge (much higher by the 1960s than in early photographs) partially screened the buildings. Trees in the Headmaster’s garden at the corner of Overbury Avenue grew larger over the decades, changing the appearance but not the essential character.
The Gymnasium
A separate gymnasium building bore a date stone – a brick-sized stone set near the top of the outside wall, inscribed AD 1897.
This date stone survived in photographs even after the building’s demolition, a small but tangible reminder of Victorian construction quality and pride.
The gymnasium provided space for physical education, indoor sports during inclement weather, and eventually the 1970 auction where the school’s contents were sold.
Inside, the gym was functional and well-equipped for its era – space for various exercises, equipment for physical training, and enough room to accommodate many boys simultaneously.
The Classroom Block
In 1938, a major expansion occurred: seven new classrooms were built. This block represented Clare House at its pre-war peak – full enrollment, successful operation, investing in facilities from the school’s own income.
These classrooms were furnished with new desks, chairs, and equipment – everything purchased outright, demonstrating the school’s financial health. They featured:
- Large windows providing good natural light
- Blackboards and teaching equipment
- Individual desks in rows
- Teacher’s desk at the front
- Notice boards for house points and announcements
Specific Classrooms Remembered:
The Geography Room (later Form ‘A’ Classroom)
The Transitional Classroom (later Form ‘2’ Classroom)
The Junior Classroom (later Form ‘1’ Classroom)
The Large Classroom (always known as ‘The Big’)
[Image if available]
“The Big” was particularly important – large enough to accommodate multiple classes or the entire school for assemblies and events.
The Dining Hall
The dining hall was where boys gathered three times daily for meals. Even during wartime rationing, the school provided three good meals, supplemented by produce from kitchen gardens.
Long tables accommodated form groups, with staff supervision ensuring proper behavior. This was where community gathered, where announcements were made, where boys learned table manners and social interaction.
More to come …