Ottershaw College and Ottershaw School

Then
Now
Image not available Image not available
Tulk (West) House 1954
Tulk House 1998

[PICTURE GALLERY]

Ottershaw College buildings

Shortly after 1932 the Squash Court (now no. 23, aptly named Squash Court!) was built by Ottershaw College. During the war while the Vacuum Oil Company had their offices in Ottershaw Park, Squash Court was used as the Stationery office.

Also in the early 1930's the present Tennis courts were constructed.

Science laboratories were built behind The Bothy. The first L-shaped block was built in the 1930's by Ottershaw College. This is now no. 20.

A log cabin which stood behind No. 19 on the plot which is now the garden of No.18 served as the Tuck shop. This was later used as the Geography room by Ottershaw School and has since been demolished.

A theatre was added to the West wing of The Mansion during Ottershaw College days and this is now .... the Mansion.


Woodwind

Woodwind was built in 1935 as accomodation for Geoffrey Ernald Wedgwood Hartley, Music and Maths teacher at Ottershaw College. The house and land were acquired by Geoffrey Hartley in 1941 from the Chertsey Public School Ltd. During World War II the house was first used by the Vacuum Oil Company as accomodation for one of its directors, Mr Holliday, but later on the house and adjoining land was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence. There was a move by the Ministry of Education to compulsorily purchase Woodwind in 1948 but this appears not to have happened. Mr Hartley lived here after the War with his family and during his retirement until his death in the 1990's. The house has been extensively rebuilt on more than one occassion since then.


Ottershaw School Buildings

Surrey County Council compulsorily purchased The Mansion and the central part of Ottershaw Park to found Ottershaw School in 1948 and most of the buildings on the present estate were occupied by the school from that date. There is a plaque commemorating this school on the gate pillar at the entrance to the lane leading from the Chobham Road to The Bothy.

The need for residential accomodation for the growing number of boarders at Ottershaw School in the 1950's led to the building of what is now Tulk House. This was built in two stages, the first block, West House being completed in 1952 to accommodate about 60 boys. In 1961 a second connecting block, Tulk House (named after the first Chairman of the Governors, Mr J A Tulk), was added to complete the dormitory accommodation blocks to hold a similar number of boys. Mr White and Mr Burrows were House masters here in 1971.

The cricket pavillion, built at Easter 1953, still survives in the grounds of the present no. 27. One of the school governors, Mr Tulk, observing the excellent standard of cricket and appreciating the need for a school Pavillion gave a sizable sum of money to buy materials and the construction was undertakem by the boys under the guidance of Mr Oettinger. Parts for the Pavillion including the glass windows and clock were made in the school workshops in the Bothy.

Several staff houses were built on the road from the Tulk House to The Mansion in 1957 and 1961. The OS map of 1960 shows that Chestnuts, Romany, Windfall and Mayfield (now nos. 7 to 10) had been built by that date. A new gymnasium was constructed in 1962 on the site of the Gothic Chapel which was demolished by this time; this is now nos. 25/25a. The OS map of 1970 shows that Woodstock, Lynwood, Florenza and Windrush (later Willow Pool)(now numbers 11 - 14) had been built. In 1971 Chestnuts was occupied by Commander Shewell, Romany by Mr Robson, Windfall by Mr Thomas-Davies, Mayfield by Mr Parry, Woodstock by Mr Johnson, Lynwood by Mr Oettinger, Florenza by Mr Pfeuti and Willow Pool by Mr Curtis.

The two linked pre-fabricated sixth form blocks built by the schoolboys between 1970 and 1972 are now nos. 26 and 27. By 1981 the sales catalog lists 14 semi-detached houses, a detached single storey cottage (probably Tanglewood Cottage) and the Headmasters house, built in 1970, now Pantiles).

The school also built a number of classrooms and other buildings in the Park. The present Dower House (built in 1980) is on the site of the Masters' Common Room (built by the boys in July 1965) between Squash Court (now no. 23) and The Mansion. A laboratory were built in the 1960's behind the Bothy and this has been converted into no. 21. Later, an Art block was built. There was a ACF hut where the upper block of garages are now. The school built a rifle range the remains of which can still be seen in the meadow beyond The Mansion. There were various aviaries, chicken houses, cattle sheds, pig-styes, stores, stables, sheds and barns dotted about. All are shown on a map of the school dated 1971.

Ottershaw Park was converted to a residential estate in 1981. Numbers 22 (replacing the Art block) and 24, The Dower House (on the site of the Master's Common Room) were built at this date.