Country Images Magazine North April 2018 | Page 22

The Lost Houses
of Derbyshire
by Maxwell Craven
becoming vacant again early in 1919. Th e
headmaster and managers of the over-crowded
neighbouring Spondon ( Junior) school had the
vision to realise that here lay an opportunity to
expand without the expense of building, and in
1920 the LEA accepted that the idea was sound,
and two years later, a new County School was
founded at Spondon House (later absorbing the
nearby early 19th century villa called Th e Croft ,
latterly home of the Lillys) which fl ourished
mightily. It became a County Secondary School
in 1945, but closed in 1964, to move into new
premises at West Park, Spondon, on the site
of Field House, then recently – and sadly –
demolished for the purpose.
If Field House, the long empty seat of the Devas,
Arkwright and Osborne families, had to be
demolished to enable Spondon House School
to move, it was a straw in the wind, for Spondon
House itself, the freehold of which the County
had acquired from the Drury-Lowes in the 1920s,
was also rapidly demolished; a serious loss, for
it was in good repair, and would have easily
converted into three or four excellent dwellings.
Yet it was heedlessly cleared away in 1965 and the
site sold. All that remains is the substantial brick
wall surrounding the still wooded site (although
altered to accommodate changes to the street
pattern in places) and the gates.
Cricket, c. 1960 with the SW angle of the house behind. [Th e late Mrs. Tom Fraser]
Revd. Edward Priestland, shortly
aft er taking the school over.
[Spondon Historical Society]
Spondon House, summer term study in the garden with
the NE wing and a glimpse of the former stable block
behind, c. 1960. [Th e late Mrs. Tom Fraser]
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