c1897 Between fencing and railings the Sidney Broook ran
into Hall Park, and down along Duck Street. Later culverted.
The School with two extensions added.
The yard has new iron railings.
Extract from diary notes of Ebenezer Knight: “New Room” - Corner stone laid by the Bishop of Peterborough 1870 October 11th. This would be Bishop Magee who made a speech at the ‘New Room’, (which became the ‘National School’) at the re-opening of the Parish Church after the Great Restoration on Tuesday, February 2nd, 1875. A beautiful day, when the Bishop said that Rushden was the blackest spot in the Diocese before Canon Barker came.
South End School was built in 1870/71 on a plot of land given by Mr F U Sartoris of Rushden Hall.
It was a Church of England School, and later became a National School.
The building cost £1100 to erect, and could take 250 pupils.
The school in 1963.
The building had changed little; the brook was now culverted, and the playground fenced.
1900 map of the school at the corner of High Street South/Wymington Road.
Next door was Lewis' blacksmiths yard, house and smithy. The Sydney brook
flowed along in front of both, then meandered behind the Conservative Club into Rushden Hall grounds. A bridge gave access into the school playground.
Rushden Echo, 7th November 1924, transcribed by Kay Collins
The Brook in front of the South-End Schools has now been covered in by brick culverting. The extra area to be allotted to the school playground and to the public footpath will be a very welcome improvement.
Aerial view - South End school left and Townsend's extensive property right
Note the entrances to the air raid shelters set in the bank behind the school
