Had this place pinned for well over a year and had a fair few unsuccessful trips to it, however I never like to quit and tried again..and I was lucky this time.
Having explored Langham Tower next door I wanted to see what remained of the former school.
I've never seen any pics of the inside or know of anyone exploring the building.
The School was stripped but had a lovely staircase to make up for the explore, the building was quite big and for the amount of years its been closed, I'm surprised it doesn't look worse.
Glad to have seen the place, another one ticked of my list.
Originally two pairs of semi-detached villas, joined together in a conversion to a training college in a design by the local authority’s education architect Oliver Hall Mark in 1933. It had teaching facilities on the ground floor and residential accommodation above. When the school acquired this building in 2000, the First floor was totally redesigned. The Basement and Second floors are out of bounds and unused. The second floor, in fact was separated into dormitory rooms, some still complete with wardrobes, sinks and period carpets. Clifton Hall was a pastoral base for Year 7 and Year 8. It accommodated Year 7 and 8 form rooms, the Mathematics Department and music and drama facilities. This site also encompassed the nearby Bede gym, formally a university canteen, used for health related fitness. The design of the gym meant that major indoor sports took place in the school's large sports hall on the junior school site. Precisely when the original Clifton Villas went up is not known. However, according to research by planner John Tumman, the estate owner Anthony John Moore, solicitor, water company chairman and mayor, lived next door in Bede Tower from 1852, and is known to have had grandiose plans for villas there as part of the estate development which included grand terraces like Park Place, St Bede’s Terrace, Douro Terrace, and Mowbray Villas and Carlton Villas. Clifton Villas were certainly in existence by 1880, when the tenant at No 1 was John Tillman, who with his brother Thomas, designed Sunderland Museum. Nearby Bede Tower, Moore's Italianate home, was formerly part of the University of Sunderland. It housed the school's examination hall. The school also used the large auditorium in this building for theatrical performances.
View attachment
Thanks for looking.
Having explored Langham Tower next door I wanted to see what remained of the former school.
I've never seen any pics of the inside or know of anyone exploring the building.
The School was stripped but had a lovely staircase to make up for the explore, the building was quite big and for the amount of years its been closed, I'm surprised it doesn't look worse.
Glad to have seen the place, another one ticked of my list.
Originally two pairs of semi-detached villas, joined together in a conversion to a training college in a design by the local authority’s education architect Oliver Hall Mark in 1933. It had teaching facilities on the ground floor and residential accommodation above. When the school acquired this building in 2000, the First floor was totally redesigned. The Basement and Second floors are out of bounds and unused. The second floor, in fact was separated into dormitory rooms, some still complete with wardrobes, sinks and period carpets. Clifton Hall was a pastoral base for Year 7 and Year 8. It accommodated Year 7 and 8 form rooms, the Mathematics Department and music and drama facilities. This site also encompassed the nearby Bede gym, formally a university canteen, used for health related fitness. The design of the gym meant that major indoor sports took place in the school's large sports hall on the junior school site. Precisely when the original Clifton Villas went up is not known. However, according to research by planner John Tumman, the estate owner Anthony John Moore, solicitor, water company chairman and mayor, lived next door in Bede Tower from 1852, and is known to have had grandiose plans for villas there as part of the estate development which included grand terraces like Park Place, St Bede’s Terrace, Douro Terrace, and Mowbray Villas and Carlton Villas. Clifton Villas were certainly in existence by 1880, when the tenant at No 1 was John Tillman, who with his brother Thomas, designed Sunderland Museum. Nearby Bede Tower, Moore's Italianate home, was formerly part of the University of Sunderland. It housed the school's examination hall. The school also used the large auditorium in this building for theatrical performances.
View attachment
Thanks for looking.
