Ragged School - Burslem

Ragged School - Burslem \| Buildings of Stoke-on-Trent


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Ragged School - Burslem

Ragged School

Ragged School

Just off High Street, Burslem. The Ragged School was for destitute children who could not afford even the small charge at the 'Hill Top' Sunday School (which was only a few hundred yards away).
This building is currently (2000) part of Wades

on education in the potteries

Ragged army in battle to save school

A HISTORIC school building is facing demolition as part of a major expansion planned by a North Staffordshire pottery company.

Managers at Wade Ceramics want to pull down the former Ragged School in Greenhead Street, Burslem.

The school was built 167years-ago by Lord Shaftesbury to educate children whose parents could not afford to pay school fees. It got its name because it catered for the ‘ragged’ children of Burslem who would otherwise have started work at the age of six or seven.

A private cemetery where members of several pottery families are buried will also be affected as Wades have permission to remove the bodies.

Historian Fred Hughes is concerned by the proposals. He said: “The site is unique to the Potteries. Evidence from court rolls dating back to 1580 tells the history of the site prior to the building of the ragged school, when several locals were prosecuted for stealing clay. The cemetery adjacent to the school has nine grave stones belonging to some important families in the area, so is a vital part of our heritage. It is imperative that the site be saved.”

Wade Ceramics has been given planning permission to demolish and redevelop the site, as the former ragged school is not a listed building and is not in a conservation area.

Mr Hughes said that the only way to prevent demolition was to get the building and land listed by the English Heritage Association.

Burslem History Club are also planning to apply pressure on the Potteries Heritage Society for the land to be listed.

Peter Heath, Chairman of the club said: “We plan to take this issue on as a committee. He said: “I would like to see the school and cemetery preserved. Interesting artifacts have been recovered by myself from the site, including an old class register.”

“The graves are crucial to the area historically and I think it would be sacrilege just to Tarmac over them.”

No-one from Wade Ceramics was available for comment today.

Sentinel Newspaper 25th January 2002

S-o-T historic building to go
A Burslem-based ceramics firm is planning to demolish an important historical building - despite pleas from historians to save it.
The "Ragged School", off Westport Road in the town, was built in 1835. Pottery manufacturers Wades want it demolished, because it stands on land they're planning to sell off for development. Wades managing director Paul Farmer says the firm will however be helping to preserve other old buildings in the town.

Radio Stoke 25 Jan 2002

SCHOOL DEMOLISHED DESPITE LAUNCH OF RESCUE BID

A HISTORIC school building has been torn down by a pottery firm - one day after a campaign was launched to save it from the bulldozers. Wade Ceramics pulled down the former Ragged School, in Greenhead Street, Burslem, yesterday as part a major expansion plan.

On Friday, local historians launched a bid to save the school from demolition. They intended to apply to English Heritage today to get the building and land listed.

The school was built 167 years ago by Lord Shaftsbury to educate children whose parents could not afford to pay for school fees. It got its name because it catered for the 'ragged' children of Burslem, who would otherwise have started work at the age of six or seven.

Campaigners have reacted with dismay at the firm's actions and say the demolition is a big loss to Burslem. Local historian Fred Hughes said: "The site is unique and we very much wanted to preserve this piece of the town's history.

"We were going to try to get a preservation order on Monday to save it from the bulldozers. I regret that we couldn't have any further consultation with Wade Ceramics. We wanted a stay of execution for two months so we could have worked out a compromise with the Wade management."

Wade Ceramics were given planning permission to demolish and redevelop the site by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, as the former Ragged school is not a listed building and is not in a conservation area.

A private cemetery where members of several pottery families are buried is located next to the school site. The company has permission to remove the bodies and Mr Hughes hopes they will give the remains to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

No one from Wade Ceramics was available for comment.

28 January 2002 - Sentinel newspaper

wall plaque exposed during demolition
"....... a faithful
Scholar and Teacher of
This School
Born June 31 1863 Died Oct 23 1919
for me to live is Christ
and to die is gain"

Wade Ceramics Web Site

updated: 29/01/2002