Sevington Victorian School is opening to the public every Sunday this summer. For those of you who don’t know it, it’s a tiny village school opened by Joseph Neeld in 1849 for the children of his estate workers. For most of that time, the schoolroom was ruled by the redoubtable Miss Squire. When she retired, the school closed but the Neeld family, who owned it, left it untouched and it has survived as a perfect little time capsule of Victorian country life.
It is visited by scores of schools every year but, till now, has rarely been open to the public. So we are delighted that a recent grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled us to open our doors to the public every Sunday from 2.00 to 5.00 from April 14th to September 15th. Admission is free and we will be offering tours of the schoolroom and school house, children’s activities and home made teas. On some Sundays Miss Squire will be in residence and she has kindly agreed to demonstrate her teaching methods.
We are looking for people to volunteer their services to make tea and act as stewards. Victorian costume and a taste for role play is desirable but not essential. If you have any time to spare on Sunday afternoons this summer, please contact Dinah Starkey on 01225 755713 or visit our website and leave a message for Miss Squire.