ÿþ<HTML LANG=en-GB> <HEAD> <TITLE>The Derelict Miscellany :: Silian School</TITLE> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="silian, school, ysgol, national, derelict, hall, crown estates, derelict, abandoned, closed, ceredigion"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Silian School closed in the 1970s. Now derelict, it is the subject of a bitter legal struggle "> <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="gam_print_ordsvywat-sun-171278517207606.jpg"> <td align=right><A HREF="index.html"><img src=1.png height=100 border=0></a></td><td align=center> <A indepth="true" STYLE="text-decoration: none" HREF="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><br> </td><td align=left><A HREF="index.html"><img src=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">Sillian National School</u><br></font></center> <b>What:</B> Infant school, later village hall <BR> <b>Where:</B> Silian, Ceredigion <BR> <b>Built:</b> 1856 <BR> <b>Architect:</b> Unknown <BR> <b>Abandoned:</b> c. 2000 <BR> <b>Listed:</b> No <BR><b>Visited:</b> 2006<BR> <b>Last Known Condition:</b> Derelict - a community project is pursuing conversion. <br><b>Page Updated:</b> May 2011<BR><br> <p align="left"><br>Silian School is a plain school building apparently dating from 1856 when a piece of common land was entrusted to the small village of Silian, near Lampeter by Her Late Majesty Queen Victoria to provide for an infant school. The church was responsible for running the school until 1905 when management passed to the local authority, whose responsibilty it remained until closure in 1976. Since it was assumed that the Church had ownership of the school building, management then passed back to the Church in Wales. For the next 20 years, the school was used as a Village Hall until Crown Estates, the actual owner of the land according to a reverter clause in the original grant, notified the church of its intention to take the land back under the Reverter of Sites Act, 1987. Protracted arguments ensued until 2006 when the Church finally handed the now derelict site back to the Crown. <br><br> Despite petitions from villagers, Crown Estates have since refused to allow the villagers to purchase or even use the school, arguing that because they are a commercial organisation, they are not allowed to make charitable donations. In 2007 villagers applied to the Ceredigion County Council to register the land as a Village Green under the Commons Act, 2006. The Council held a 3-day Public enquiry, but the village lost because of technicalities arising from a farmer's use of the school field. At the time of writing, the battle for the ownership and use of this community facility continues. <br><br> <center> <a href="scholastic/ys1.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys1.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys2.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys2.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys3.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys3.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys4.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys4.jpg" border=1> </A> <br>Left to right: The School Building, The toilet block, A toilet and the entrance hall.<br><br> <a href="scholastic/ys5.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys5.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys6.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys6.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys7.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys7.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ysa.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ysa.jpg" border=1> </A> <br>Left to right: Office stacked with pupils' benches, Entrance hall and sinks, the main classroom/hall and another view of the same room.<br><br> <a href="scholastic/ys8.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys8.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys9.jpg" target="blank" > <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys9.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys10.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys10.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys11.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys11.jpg" border=1> </A> <br>Left to right: Old activity sheets on the desk, The village roll of honour, Partition dividing classroom space and the smaller classroom<br><br> <a href="scholastic/ys12.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys12.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys13.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys13.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys14.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys14.jpg" border=1> </A> <a href="scholastic/ys15.jpg" target="blank"> <img alt="." height=174 width=232 src="scholastic/ys15.jpg" border=1> </A> <br>Left to right: A Broadwood Upright - somewhat out of tune, Detail of the same, Back room (probable kitchen) and wall with serving hatch and door illustrating water damage. </center> <br> Although architecturally disappointing, Silian School makes up for this in interiors. There is, all about the place a sense of waste and loss. It is a poor reflection on Crown Estates that they have not only retained property for which they have no obvious use (it is also of little value, even for building) but allowed it to fall into disrepair. <br> <center><br><u>EPILOGUE, 2008-11</u><br></center> The Roll of Honour was removed and relocated to St. Sulien's Church across the road in late 2007 thanks to local historian Jen Cairns who notes that all of the names on the board came back home safely after the war, and at least one person is still alive. At this time the building was also made secure from intruders by means of galvanised steel fencing bolted to the walls and the owners have attempted to fence off the grounds. <br> In 2009, Crown Estates finally agreed to lease the school to the village for a period of two years at a peppercorn rate of £200 p.a. The terms of the lease include a deadline to secure funding to purchase the school. Responding to this opportunity, locals have formed the Silian Old School Community Project, which aims to purchase and renovate the old school and transform it into a community resource and heritage centre. You can read more and donate to the cause <a href=http://www.silianoldschool.org.uk/" target="blank">here</a>. <br><br> <font size="1"> <u><center>SOURCES OF INFORMATION</u> <br> <br> Cairns, J., <i>Pers. Comm.</i>, 2011 <br> <br> Morgan, S., 'Fight is on for rights to school grounds' in the Cambrian News (Lampeter and Tregaron Edition), Thursday 8th November, 2007. <br> <br> Dyfed Family History Society, 'Schools and Colleges: National/Council School, Silian' URL=http://www.dyfedfhs.org.uk/register/sac331.htm Accessed: 3/6/08 <br> <br> Ibid 'Schools and Colleges' URL=http://www.dyfedfhs.org.uk/register/sacindex.htm Accessed: 3/6/08 <br> <br> Silian Old School Community Project, 'Silian Old School" URL=http://www.silianoldschool.org.uk/ Accessed: 27/10/10 <br> <br> </font><center><b> <br> <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>