Report - Verdin County Grammar School, Winsford, Cheshire - March 2023

[MotionlessMike]

Verdin County Grammar School


Built in 1895 and designed by Manchester architects Woodhouse & Willoughby in a striking ‘Netherlandish Renaissance’ style. Money for construction of the school was supplied by local industrialist Sir Joseph Verdin, who - along with his family - were at the time owners of the largest salt manufacturers in the United Kingdom, producing over 300,000 tonnes annually.

The school went through several names over the years;

Verdin Technical School
Verdin Higher Elementary School
Verdin County School
Verdin Grammar School

More recently operated as part of Mid-Cheshire College as the ‘Verdin Centre’.

Its last use was a council-run small-business start-up centre called the ‘Verdin Exchange’.

Only had a limited amount of time here coz my mate was outside freezing her ass off having not fancied the entry, so I just made my way towards the oldest bits. There was definitely a good chunk I didn’t see, including a gymnasium.

When it was new

Currently... Not much change!

Apart from some large mid-century additions

Inside the 2 main entrances, presumably one for girls and one for boys. Both had nice tiled floors.

I guess this was once the assembly hall, more recently repurposed as a library

Some pigeon-smashed stained glass

The rest of the gaff was just nice corridors and chopped up former classrooms

Not a bad little wander, bit empty but not a suspended ceiling in sight!

​

 

[Mikeymutt🐶]

That’s a cracker. It looks quite a big site. Loving them tiles in the corridors and the ones on the floor in the second to last pic.

 

[Camera Shy]

Really nice that.

 

[mookster]

Ooh that's a bit nice, although that council house wording on the staircase makes me want to vomit with rage.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Its nice they kept some og features. The tiles and stain glass are quite something amongst the modernisation.

 

[jtza]

Nice tilez

 

[Seffy]

Excellent photos and something new, too 👏

 

[MotionlessMike]

Ooh that's a bit nice, although that council house wording on the staircase makes me want to vomit with rage.

Yes it's particularly horrid isn't it

 

[HughieD]

Another very decent report that mate...

 

[GRONK]

Fuck me, I've tried this on many times in the past with no luck. Congrats on getting it done @MotionlessMike

 

[MotionlessMike]

Fuck me, I've tried this on many times in the past with no luck. Congrats on getting it done @MotionlessMike

Haha cheers mate. Let me know if you need any intel

 

[bobdobelina]

Haha cheers mate. Let me know if you need any intel

I wouldn't mind some intel. I grew up in Winsford and used to hang out around here round the back at night. Passing that way tomorrow, would you mind messaging me?

 

[Bazza74]

Passed by here last week funny enough, but couldn’t see any way in, was fresh boarding in parts. It’s a stunning building from the outside, you’ve got some great pics of it, quality tiled shots!

 

[daveyman61]

Ahh my old school! Left in the early 80s. I'm 61 and this brings back some memories. This was the upper school of the verdin, and the more modern lower school was down grange lane. In the 1970s years 1 to 3 were the lower school, and years 4 and 5 were the older upper school. Eventually it became a business centre, and now it's just gone to waste. Sad to see it like this

 

[bobdobelina]

Ahh my old school! Left in the early 80s. I'm 61 and this brings back some memories. This was the upper school of the verdin, and the more modern lower school was down grange lane. In the 1970s years 1 to 3 were the lower school, and years 4 and 5 were the older upper school. Eventually it became a business centre, and now it's just gone to waste. Sad to see it like this

But can we get in?

I went to Woodford lodge, left in 88