ÿþ<HTML LANG=en-GB> <head><TITLE>The Derelict Miscellany :: Rowhook School</TITLE> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="derelict, school, decay, abandoned, disused, rural, exploration, sussex, horsham, history, mission, room, ruin, stane street, victorian, schoolroom, education, archive, record"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Photographs and short history of the derelict schoolhouse and mission room in Rowhook, West Sussex."> <meta name="copyright" content="D. A. Gregory, 2005-2011"> <meta name="author" content="D. A. Gregory"> <meta name="Rating" content="General"> <meta name="Revisit-after" content="31 Days"> <META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="ALL"> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> </head> <body link="#668b8b" bgcolor="darkgray" text="000000" vlink="#668b8b"> <center> <table width=1044> <tr><td> <table width=1044 cellspacing=0> <tr background="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-171278517207606.jpg" height=120> <td align=right><A HREF="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/index.html"><img src=http://derelictmisc.org.uk/1.png height=100 border=0></a></td><td align=center> <A indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" HREF="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/index.html"><h1>T H E &nbsp D E R E L I C T &nbsp M I S C E L L A N Y</H1></A> R e f l e c t i o n s &nbsp o n &nbsp f o r g o t t e n &nbsp a n d &nbsp a b a n d o n e d &nbsp s p a c e s <br> </td><td align=left><A HREF="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/index.html"><img src=http://derelictmisc.org.uk/2.png height=100 border=0></a></td></tr></table> </td></tr> <tr><td bgcolor="#EEE9E9"> <center> <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/index.html">{home} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="http://derelictmisc.org.uk/menu2.html">{menu} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="aboot.html">{about} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="cont.html">{contact} </a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none"href="http://twitter.com/DerelictMisc" target="blank">{twitter}</a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="disc.html">{disclaimer}</a> &nbsp &nbsp <a href="#" STYLE="text-decoration: none" onClick="window.open('veh/index.html','', 'width=589,height=577,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"> {rusty old cars}</A> &nbsp &nbsp <a href="#" STYLE="text-decoration: none" onClick="window.open('misc/menu.html','', 'width=870,height=482,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"> {miscellany}</A> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="links.html">{links}</a> &nbsp &nbsp <a indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" href="contrib.html">{contribute} </a> </td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=#EEE9E9><table width=100% bgcolor="#EEE9E9"> <td width=13></td><td> <center> <br><u><font size="5">Rowhook School and Mission Room</font></u><br></center> <b>What:</B> School, later mission room <BR> <b>Where:</B> Rowhook, West Sussex <BR> <b>Built:</b> 1874 <BR> <b>Architect:</b> Gordon M. Hills <BR> <b>Abandoned:</b> 1963 <BR> <b>Listed:</b> No <BR><b>Visited:</b> 2009<BR> <b>Last Known Condition:</b> Derelict <br><b>Page Updated:</b> February 2011<BR> <br> Rowhook School came about because of an 1872 proposal by the Education Department to merge, for educational purposes, the neigbouring parishes of Slinfold, Warnham and Rudgwick due to the 'deficiency of school accommodation' in that district. This was seen by the clergy as undesirable, and they were 'very anxious to avoid this.' The issue was discussed at length and in 1874 a solution came in the form of a grant of land at Rowhook by Charles Child, Esq. of Windalls, The Street, Slinfold. Plans were drawn up by local architect Gordon M. Hills, a committee of trustees was formed, headed by Nathaniel Simes of Strood Park, and tenders were put out for design and construction. <br> The school was completed that year at a cost of £152, 18s and 7d. It consisted of one room, its dimensions described in 1876 as "Height: Feet 9, i.e. from floor to slates / Length: feet 30" and "Width: feet 17." A porch was added to the front as part of the builders' contract and at some time an outshot was constructed for toilets (now demolished). 1880 and 1897 maps show the building as 'School, Boys &amp; Girls', but by 1914 it had become a 'Mission Room;' hardly surprising given the size of the hamlet, which consists of scarcely more than ten dwellings a few outlying farms. <br>The School continued to be used as a mission room up to c.1948, after which it was leased by the trustees to a Mr. Vibant, then in 1957 to Mr. F.B. Notley at a cost of £5 p.a. Notley still held it in 1963, but it was now "rapidly deteriorating and not doing much good to anyone". A local man, Mr. A.J. Cole, registered his interest in buying the building to make a house for himself and his wife, but the legal status of the land was not adequately understood and eventually he lost interest. In 1984 it was proposed to try to sell the school again. At this point proceedings stalled however, since under the School Sites Act, 1841 the school could not be sold unless the intention of the trustees was to apply the proceeds of sale in buying other more convenient land for a new school. A long and bewildering legal battle ensued, culminating in the Reverter of Sites Act 1987, which in short allowed the sale of the land without the need for a new school. This was duly done but by this time the building was completely derelict and enthusiasm for conversion had waned. <br><br> <center> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/1.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="From the road." height=164 src="scholastic/1.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/2_001.JPG','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="View from the south, standing in the shaw." height=164 src="scholastic/2_001.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/3.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Front (Oblique)." height=164 src="scholastic/3.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/4-1.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Front porch remains." height=164 src="scholastic/4-1.jpg" border=1> </A> <br> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/5.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Front." height=164 src="scholastic/5.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/6.jpg','', 'width=480,height=640,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Front door." height=164 src="scholastic/6.jpg" border=1> </A> <img alt="Keep out sign" height=164 src="scholastic/8.jpg" border=1> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/7.jpg','', 'width=480,height=640,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Front porch window." height=164 src="scholastic/7.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/9.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Inside, looking south." height=164 src="scholastic/9.jpg" border=1> </A> <br> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/10.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Inside, looking north." height=164 src="scholastic/10.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/11.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Inside, front wall south east." height=164 src="scholastic/11.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/12.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Inside, back wall, looking west." height=164 src="scholastic/12.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/13.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Inside, rafters, looking north." height=164 src="scholastic/13.jpg" border=1> </A> <br> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/14.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Sanitary ware sherd (probable sink) by the north wall." height=164 src="scholastic/14.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/15.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Back (west) wall showing recently added supports and chimney for stove." height=164 src="scholastic/15.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/16.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Back of building." height=164 src="scholastic/16.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="#" onClick="window.open('scholastic/17.jpg','', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no');return false;"><img alt="Possible school field." height=164 src="scholastic/17.jpg" border=1> </A> </center> <br> Thed building is now in very poor condition, covered with ivy, windows broken and the roof lacking most of its tiles. <br><br> The ownership and future of the building are not known to me but apparent attempts to secure the back wall with wooden braces may indicate that it is at least cared for by someone. <center> <br><br><font size=2>SOURCES<br><br> Documents in the West Sussex Record Office, refs. Par 176/4/13, Par 176/10/2-5, Par 176/25/21, 24 & 28, <br><br> Edward Nugee QC, "Some Topical Issues for Purchasers and Developers" - http://www.pla.org.uk/__data/assets/word_doc/0018/22815/Some_Topical_issues_for_purchasers_and_developers_-_Edward_Nugee_QC.doc. </font> <br><br> <center></font><b> <a href="index.html">Home..</a></b><br> <BR> </td><td width=13></td></tr></table> </TD></TR><TR><TD bgcolor="#EEE9E9" ALIGN=CENTER> <font size=1>Derelict Miscellany. Website &amp; content Copyright D. A. Gregory 2005-Present unless stated to be otherwise.</font> </td></tr></table> </font> </body> </html>