More local derps for local people - these two are just down the road, opposite my nearest Tesco in the Old Swan area of Liverpool.
There are several buildings here next to St Oswald’s Church, shown on old maps as a convent and three schools - the southernmost school was originally a Methodist Chapel.
The convent is still occupied (I think) but the other buildings are derelict.
I put up some pictures of the Methodist Chapel a while ago as part of a summary of explores in this area.
www.28dayslater.co.uk
But I was more interested in the two schools which may have been built by Pugin (senior), who also designed the church, apparently to evoke some “ideal of medieval Christianity” within this cluster of buildings.
However there was no way in at the time so I had to wait until the locals broke into one, and then the other about six months later, to see what was inside.
Which was very little except cobwebs and pigeons.
The larger school is a listed building, constructed in 1854 to house infants on the ground floor and girls upstairs.
In 1884 the Victorian equivalent of OFSTEAD was not impressed - the girls were “…very deficient in Spelling…and failure in Grammar was wholesale and discreditable”, a bit like some on this website in fact.
Its last incarnation was as the Montini Youth Centre which seems to have closed at least a decade ago.
The larger school is on the right in the picture below, with the smaller school on the left and the spire of St Oswald’s in the background.
Side and rear views.
There are several rooms in addition to the large halls on the ground and first floors, all empty.
Moving on to the smaller school.
This eventually became the parish hall of the church and has been unused since about 2003 judging by dates on a noticeboard.
Finally a statue of St. Oswald, or is it St Peter (?), next to the church.
Anyway St. Ozzy doesn’t seem to have been a saint of anything in particular, just a saintly chap.
Incidentally, Pugin’s spire is the only original bit left of this church - most of it was rebuilt and extended in the 50s and the interior is now more middle eastern airport terminal than Gothic Revival.
From planning applications it seems likely that the Methodist Chapel will be demolished and larger listed school will be converted into flats.
There are several buildings here next to St Oswald’s Church, shown on old maps as a convent and three schools - the southernmost school was originally a Methodist Chapel.
The convent is still occupied (I think) but the other buildings are derelict.
I put up some pictures of the Methodist Chapel a while ago as part of a summary of explores in this area.
Report - - Old Swan Roundup (Liverpool, 2017/2018) | Other Sites
A few places I looked at while cycling around my neighbourhood of Old Swan and surrounding areas. These sort of sites are only likely to be of interest to locals. St Oswald’s Parish Club (53.411632, -2.915112). Originally a Methodist chapel (1845) it was bought by the church nearby (St...
But I was more interested in the two schools which may have been built by Pugin (senior), who also designed the church, apparently to evoke some “ideal of medieval Christianity” within this cluster of buildings.
However there was no way in at the time so I had to wait until the locals broke into one, and then the other about six months later, to see what was inside.
Which was very little except cobwebs and pigeons.
The larger school is a listed building, constructed in 1854 to house infants on the ground floor and girls upstairs.
In 1884 the Victorian equivalent of OFSTEAD was not impressed - the girls were “…very deficient in Spelling…and failure in Grammar was wholesale and discreditable”, a bit like some on this website in fact.
Its last incarnation was as the Montini Youth Centre which seems to have closed at least a decade ago.
The larger school is on the right in the picture below, with the smaller school on the left and the spire of St Oswald’s in the background.
Side and rear views.
There are several rooms in addition to the large halls on the ground and first floors, all empty.
Moving on to the smaller school.
This eventually became the parish hall of the church and has been unused since about 2003 judging by dates on a noticeboard.
Finally a statue of St. Oswald, or is it St Peter (?), next to the church.
Anyway St. Ozzy doesn’t seem to have been a saint of anything in particular, just a saintly chap.
Incidentally, Pugin’s spire is the only original bit left of this church - most of it was rebuilt and extended in the 50s and the interior is now more middle eastern airport terminal than Gothic Revival.
From planning applications it seems likely that the Methodist Chapel will be demolished and larger listed school will be converted into flats.
