Beechwood Park School
Encyclopedia
Beechwood Park School, also familiarly referred to as "Beechwood", is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Hertfordshire
in England
, UK for reception to year 8. It is set on the site of an old Mansion house with extensions put in over the last 50 years including the junior school, middle school, sports hall and performance hall. The school was founded in 1964 with the merge of two other local prep schools. In addition to its teaching facilities, the school is known for its extensive grounds which include a nature reserve, a large wood and numerous playing fields. There are 3 tennis courts, a swimming pool and a small golf course.
) and Heath Brow School (in Hemel Hempstead
). By 1961 the buildings and estate of Beechwood Park were in a terrible state of neglect and disrepair. What had once been the family seat of the aristocratic Sebright family had gradually sunk from its former glory, dwindling into a somewhat anarchic girls’ boarding school, and then becoming an uninhabited ruin (reputed, then as now, to be haunted). It was apparently close to demolition when it went on the market in 1961. The Stewart family who owned Shirley House put in a successful bid and decided to restore it. However, shortly after Group Captain Peter Stewart OBE (the brother of a former Head of Shirley House) became Estates Manager of Beechwood, a freak hurricane did enormous further damage—among other things, sending four Tudor chimney stacks crashing into the present Dining Hall. So it was a long haul (three years’ work) for him and his many helpers, one of whom was a very young Mr Bob Bonnick (still working as the school's Maintenance Manager). Peter Stewart deserves to be remembered as the present school’s true ‘onlie begetter’.
Beechwood Park School has had four Headmasters to date: Alan Mould (formerly Head of Shirley House, and latterly twice Chairman of IAPS); John Higgs; David Macpherson; and Patrick Atkinson. Portraits of the first three hang in the Entrance Hall. The Mary Welsford Junior School (1982) and the Sports Hall (1985) were the first major new buildings to be erected. The transformation of the buildings that have now become the Music School occurred shortly afterwards. Then came the Joan Laing Middle School building (1999) and the new Performance Hall (2001). Internal changes have been made necessary by the expansion of the prep school curriculum: Science, Art, CDT and ICT have all resulted in significant developments and transformations. The school was originally for boys only, but girls began to be admitted in the Junior Department in the early 1980s; finally the school became truly co-educational in the mid 1990s. It has since grown to its present school roll of about 470. Pupils at the school are divided into four houses, named Tudor, Saunders, Sebright and Stewart in homage to the history of the school and it's buildings. In addition the boarding dormitories are named after prominent local towns and villages, such as Studham
, Markyate
, Flamstead
and Gaddesden
.
(Rugby Player), Edward McFarlane (Friendly Fires
), Julian Bliss
(Clarinetist) and also Alan Duncan
, a British Conservative MP and the current Minister for International Development (since May 2010).
The school was used as a location for the film The Dirty Dozen
in 1967.
Beechwood Park gave its name to a song by The Zombies
, written by the group's bassist Chris White, who grew up in Markyate.
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK for reception to year 8. It is set on the site of an old Mansion house with extensions put in over the last 50 years including the junior school, middle school, sports hall and performance hall. The school was founded in 1964 with the merge of two other local prep schools. In addition to its teaching facilities, the school is known for its extensive grounds which include a nature reserve, a large wood and numerous playing fields. There are 3 tennis courts, a swimming pool and a small golf course.
History
Beechwood Park School was formed in 1964, as a result of the amalgamation of two much older prep schools, Shirley House (in WatfordWatford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
) and Heath Brow School (in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
). By 1961 the buildings and estate of Beechwood Park were in a terrible state of neglect and disrepair. What had once been the family seat of the aristocratic Sebright family had gradually sunk from its former glory, dwindling into a somewhat anarchic girls’ boarding school, and then becoming an uninhabited ruin (reputed, then as now, to be haunted). It was apparently close to demolition when it went on the market in 1961. The Stewart family who owned Shirley House put in a successful bid and decided to restore it. However, shortly after Group Captain Peter Stewart OBE (the brother of a former Head of Shirley House) became Estates Manager of Beechwood, a freak hurricane did enormous further damage—among other things, sending four Tudor chimney stacks crashing into the present Dining Hall. So it was a long haul (three years’ work) for him and his many helpers, one of whom was a very young Mr Bob Bonnick (still working as the school's Maintenance Manager). Peter Stewart deserves to be remembered as the present school’s true ‘onlie begetter’.
Beechwood Park School has had four Headmasters to date: Alan Mould (formerly Head of Shirley House, and latterly twice Chairman of IAPS); John Higgs; David Macpherson; and Patrick Atkinson. Portraits of the first three hang in the Entrance Hall. The Mary Welsford Junior School (1982) and the Sports Hall (1985) were the first major new buildings to be erected. The transformation of the buildings that have now become the Music School occurred shortly afterwards. Then came the Joan Laing Middle School building (1999) and the new Performance Hall (2001). Internal changes have been made necessary by the expansion of the prep school curriculum: Science, Art, CDT and ICT have all resulted in significant developments and transformations. The school was originally for boys only, but girls began to be admitted in the Junior Department in the early 1980s; finally the school became truly co-educational in the mid 1990s. It has since grown to its present school roll of about 470. Pupils at the school are divided into four houses, named Tudor, Saunders, Sebright and Stewart in homage to the history of the school and it's buildings. In addition the boarding dormitories are named after prominent local towns and villages, such as Studham
Studham
Studham is a village and civil parish in the county of Bedfordshire. It has a population of 1,125. The parish bounds to the south the Buckinghamshire border, and to the east is the Hertfordshire border. The village lies in the wooded south facing rolls of the Chiltern Hills...
, Markyate
Markyate
Markyate is a village and civil parish in north-west Hertfordshire close to the border with Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.-Geography:Having a number of former names, including Markyate Street and Mergyate, it has been a part of all three counties since it was first founded as the county...
, Flamstead
Flamstead
Flamstead is a village and civil parish in north-west Hertfordshire, England, close to the junction of the A5 and the M1 motorway at junction 9. The name is thought by some historians to be a corruption of the original Verulamstead...
and Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
.
Alumni
Famous Alumni include Martin BayfieldMartin Bayfield
Martin Christopher Bayfield is an English former rugby union footballer who played lock forward for Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues and England, gaining 31 England and 3 Lions caps.Bayfield was born in Bedford...
(Rugby Player), Edward McFarlane (Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires...
), Julian Bliss
Julian Bliss
Julian Bliss is a British clarinetist and clarinet designer. He has performed both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, notably with his teacher Sabine Meyer...
(Clarinetist) and also Alan Duncan
Alan Duncan
Alan James Carter Duncan is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, and a Minister of State in the Department for International Development....
, a British Conservative MP and the current Minister for International Development (since May 2010).
The school was used as a location for the film The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
in 1967.
Beechwood Park gave its name to a song by The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, written by the group's bassist Chris White, who grew up in Markyate.