Vanbrugh Castle School

This entrance to the castle was strictly out of bounds. On Saturday mornings, in Capt. Slimming's time, after breakfast until lunchtime, the boys had to weed the circular drive by hand. Woe-betide anyone who pulled up a weed and broke the stem!

The top window (open) to the right of the portico was a toilet. The two below it illuminated a staircase up to the dormitories, and the single one at the bottom cast light on a stairway to the cellars. A slope down below the portico also gave access to the cellars.The semicircular window (right) was in a passage.

The drive on a snowy day. The large oak tree in the middle, probably planted in Vanbrugh's time, was felled in about 1953.

Beyond the far wall was a considerable drop down to an overgrown garden (also out of bounds). In later years, with the guidance of D R Jones, the boys restored it to something of its former glory.

Part of the film "Mona Lisa" was filmed here in the 1970's.