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| Langdon Hills School |
| High Road, Langdon Hills |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 25/02/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 25/02/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 25/02/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 25/02/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 25/02/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 25/02/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 07/05/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: The front Girls' entrance. |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 07/05/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Side view & rear of Infant block. |
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Location: Langdon Hills Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 07/05/2007 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Infant block entrance. |
| Langdon Hills School |
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The Langdon Hills school opened on 13th
February 1911. It was built to replace an earlier school of the same name that still stands in the High Road at the top of crown hill. The new school, also in the High Road, but located at the foot of the eventual crown hill, opened as a Council school and was much larger and less isolated from the main Langdon Hills developments. It later became Langdon Hills County Primary. The girls' playground was at the front facing the High Road, with an entrance at the front left, and the boys' playground was at the back with a side entrance. Directly behind the school until the 1970s ran Nightingale Avenue where a small field was used during summer playtime sessions. Some buildings, including a brick built air raid shelter, once stood along the right hand side of the rear playground. Another feature, probably dating from the second world war and positioned on two high posts to the left at the front of the school, was an air raid siren. This was still in place years later but has now been removed. For many years sports day events were held on the meadow at the top of crown hill opposite the crown public house. In later years Eastern National would provide a double dekker bus to transport the children there. In the 1960s the Laindon High Road schools' new outdoor swimming pool was used to provide swimming lessons, as well as the pool at Hutton where swimming exams could be taken. The school operated a house point system where academic and sporting achievements were recognised, with each pupil being assigned a house. These were named: Ash (red), Elm (blue), Fir (green) and Oak (yellow). The main school building has had various additions over the years, one being in the 1960s when a small extension to the room used by the schools' then headmaster Mr Wiggins was built. A canteen was also added at some point, and its likely the detached building housing the two infant classrooms was not part of the original plan. Three long serving teachers were Miss Gladys O'Brien, with 40 years service and herself a former pupil, Miss Daphne Wilkinson, with 25 years service, who was very musical and would play the accordian during outside lessons of country dancing, and her father Mr R.E. Wilkinson, who taught there for 22 years. As the population of Langdon Hills grew the schools resources were stretched, and a decision was made to build a new larger school for 800+ children with its own playing field and indoor swimming pool, in nearby Berry Lane. Plans for this had originally surfaced in the 1960s as the site was needed for a new roundabout and road layout, but due to budget restrictions in the County Council's schools projects programme, final approval took longer than expected. In anticipation of this the school set up a swimming pool fund in the late 1960s, holding various fund raising events. When the new school finally opened in September 1973 it was named Lincewood Infant and Junior School and remained so until September 2003, when it was renamed Lincewood Primary School. For a time the school continued as an annexe to the new Lincewood school before finally closing in the mid 1970s. The last Headmaster, through to August 31st 1973 while the school was still called Langdon Hills, was Mr John Wiggins, who formerly taught at Markhams Chase Primary School, who continued in that post at the new Lincewood junior school until the late 1970s. To mark the ocassion former pupils were invited back for a reunion on June 29th 1973. Basildon new town developments had already begun to impact around the school when a new corporation planned housing estate was constructed in the mid 1970s, and although the earlier threat of demolition was lifted due to a change of plans, the High Road was realigned just beyond the school entrance. Since closure the school once provided a temporary home for some Nicholas School pupils during remedial works in the early 1970s, and in the mid 1970s the Langdon Hills youth club held their Friday night meets there. The school building survives today and is still used for educational purposes as the Essex County Council run Integrated Support Service. Other teachers known to have taught there over the years include Mrs Jobson, Mrs Baker, Mrs Brook, Miss Brown, Mr Griffiths, Mr P.H. Hall - a former Headmaster (retired July 1952 after 21 years service and succeeded by Mr J.R. Wiggins), Mrs Hayball, Mr Huggett, who as well as being the schools pianist, would often take classes on nature rambles in the woodland and grassy roads directly behind the school, Mrs Allen, Mrs Jones, Mrs Nicholls, Mr Richardson - who would often relate his experiences in India, Miss Snow, Mr Walker and Miss D. Wenden. Text written 2006 with revisions 2006-2007. Copyright © 2006-2007, Basildon History Online. All rights reserved. 2007 Update Miss Wilkinson has recently had a book published and gave an interview to the local Echo newspaper in March 2007, which can be read on this weblink. |
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