It closed its doors in 1998 and about a year later Hereson school for boys took over the premises and there very old school along with its ww2 shelter was demolished to make way for new houses(as they do).
Now the Hereson school for boys and Ellington girls school merged onto a new build site around September 2009.After getting into all this urbex lark it occurred to me that if the Hereson school from the former Holy Cross site had merged then indeed it must be sitting empty. After some excitement I mentioned this too a few of the guys who all agreed we should look into this! Luckily for us I spoke to a lad who lives over the road from me and was a Hereson pupil who on hearing of my plans stated that the old school site was still very much in use and the older pupils with exams etc not far away had stayed on at this site so defiantly not empty or derelict,and said he would give me the nod when they had finished there exams and had indeed left the school.
Now after some digging rumours it was to be converted came up and another bit of info from The neighbouring college who I was informed used some of the building at the site that it was to be demo’d and they had been given a date to clear out there equipment and such like.
Fast forward a few weeks and opportunity arose so myself and Space Invader Jumped at the chance…..
The building so the foundation stone with date on says MCMXXIX.. 1929..from what we can gather it was a TB hospital/convelesant home run by Roman catholic nuns and used during the ww2 period where it’s rumoured that there’s an underground tunnel(shelter)..but no signs of it on site or the grounds..there is also believed to be a Anglo Saxon burial ground within the grounds!
The date it became Holy cross school im not sure as research on the school/hospital from Google came up with nothing ,the info came from another source along with a name for the hospital which ive either misheard or just hasn’t any history findable from my efforts
This site is set to come down so if its something you would like a look at id be quick
As its to be borded up with 24/7 security(allegedly)
So on with some pics from the day..and a big thanks to Space Invader for sorting this one..
holy cross convent,because holy cross rc school in 63,there were two catholic school one in margate,one in ramsgate ,st augustines now st ethelberts,ramsgate,st gregorys margate,what they did was to combined both senoir sections ie 11-15 as it was then,to make a catholic secondry school,both schools still exist but for 5-11s.lwent to holy cross in 63 by then l was 14 so one had my last year there,my children also attended,l have visited on other occassions as part of a paranormal team.its haunted all right not just by a nun.you right about there being no info about it.l was part of a team trying to protest about the demolition,to maybe somehow make it a listed building no joy.the archive at dover only has records from 63 which are no good,l did find out that the nuns continued their work at port regis,that is now gone,and is a home there are some retired nuns living nearby,,but anyone who would remember has sadly passed away now.sorry l cant be of more help if you can find out ld be pleased to know, angela123holmes@aol.com.
ReplyDeleteHi, all
DeleteFor info. I was sent to Holy Cross Convent Boarding School (Open air) Broadstairs from 1958-1960. The nuns were great and as a number of us boys had Asthma we well looked after. Very sad to see that it has just been demolished.
Roy Humphreys
thank you for your comment,i was told there was 2 roman saxon burial grounds"allegedly" on the site and maybe a ww2 shelter under the school..there is much more information on th building close by
ReplyDeletehttp://thanetonline.blogspot.com/2009/01/yarrow-convalescent-home-for-children.html
Did you get any photos of the Murial painted in the main Lobby? I was at Holy Cross when it was commissioned and watched it being painted.
ReplyDeleteah that id have to go and check..but i dont think i did..demo work is well underway so no chance of a return visit
ReplyDeleteHi I was sent to Holy cross in 1952 on the understanding it was an open air school and would be good for my health .Nothing much hapened but I was only there for about six months .
DeleteAt that time the building was in Broadstairs .
I have a couple of letters that I wrote home overseen by the Nuns and some comments added by them I was seven at that time .
Regards Chris Byron
Regardss
http://englishcatholicchurch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/english-catholic-education-case-history.html
ReplyDeleteHoly Cross was originally a residential 'open air' school for sick and delicate children - children who were undoubtedly unhappy, and probably often in pain.
And how many of those poor, sick children died within the walls of the establishment ?
The top floor consisted of dormitories, and the lower floors were wards/classrooms with large windows that could be slid open to allow the supposedly health giving air to blow in from the English Channel.
The odd-looking hexagonal protrusion (see photo) was known as the Solarium.
This also had large windows that could be opened to allow in the sun's rays.
When the nuns left, and the building became a Catholic School, it was constantly roumoured that the top floor of the building was haunted.
Strangely enough the top floor was never used, and was out of bounds to pupils.
Th head of the English Department (Mike Courtenay - who was believed by the pupils to be 'gay', and then shocked them all by marrying and leaving for the States) reported that one night, when in the playground, he had seen a nun on the top floor silently ringing a hand bell from one of the windows - and he was a reliable senior member of staff (and a good catholic) who was not inclined to lie.
Was the school haunted ? - Well if atmosphere is anything to go by it was exceptionally creepy, and the only person who seemed to be at home in this 'creepyness' was the equally creepy headmaster (see above).
I remember a Mr. Crawford who taught R E. This was in the 1970,s.
DeleteDoes anyone know of a holy cross school reunion for the class that left in 1979.
DeleteThank you for the reply,im really not buying into it being haunted tho!
ReplyDeleteDid Mr knight have a wife who worked at holy cross teaching.
DeleteMrs Knight Maths teacher very nice lady.
DeleteThe headmaster, Ken Knight, was not at all creepy. He did his best for us boys under difficult circumstances (some kids were uncontrollable hoodlums!!). We never heard that the English teacher, Mr Courtney, was gay, nor that the place was haunted. We pupils were never barred from the top floor, where we had the art classes (Henry Campbell) and maths (Miss O'Carroll the battle-axe). Probably the worst teachers were a PE teacher, the sadistic Mr Pinkney, and the slightly less sadistic but extremely arrogant pottery teacher, Mr Leadbeater - both taught there in early 1967. C.N.
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting as in 1967 I didn't know what gay was other than being happy!! I remember the teachers you mentioned as I left school in 1968 so may even have known you!! Also I believe Mr Knights wife was a teacher a the school and taught english. B B
ReplyDeleteI was at Holy Cross from Sep 1971 - July 1976, in those years the teachers were Mr Knight Headmaster then Mr Wilding then Mr Derby, Mrs Knight, Mr Moss - PE and Maths, Mrs Harrington - PE, Mrs Sykes - English, Mr Cooper - Maths, Mr Cage - PE, the wonderful Mr Courtney - English, Miss Bradbury - Art, Mrs Simms - Biology, Mr Fielder - Geography, Sister Raymond - RE, Sister Agnes - RE, Sister Anne Marie Stuart - RE and Needlework, Mrs Young - Needlework, Sister Winifred and Mrs Morton - DS, Miss Oldham and Miss Pilcher - PE, Mr Breers - Woodwork, Miss Makin - Music, Mrs Leroy, Miss Crisp - French, Mr Ditton - Chemistry and Science, and the lovely Mr Derby - Maths then Headmaster.
ReplyDeleteMiss Bradbury who took over the art room (Phase 8 as it was called then, well, it was the 70's!) from Mr Campbell, married and I think then her married name was Mrs Booth. Miss O'Connor retired. We had so many French teachers, in fact the turnover of staff in general was rather high, not surprisingly as my abiding memories of my days at Holy Cross as it was then, were of total chaos in a lot of the class rooms, it was quite mad at times, especially as I was often in the dunces classes due to my dyslexia, although that wasn't recognized in those days! Does anyone remember poor Mr Deitch from the US? He said he had never met so mad kids in all his life, which was a bit depressing! Most of the teachers I recall, were actually really nice, Mr Courtney (who I don't recall being 'camp' or indeed, even rumoured to be gay, not that we would have minded a jot) was a great teacher who took us for 'O' level English, and despite my dyslexia was incredibly patient with me and helped me get an 'O' level! I remember the mural in the entrance hall, wasn't it blue and white, of arms holding a challis with a communion host? And on a wooden board it listed all the Head Girls since 1964 the first was called Anne Popple.
ReplyDeleteThe A floor under and along from the Canteen was the war shelter.
ReplyDeleteThe saxon burial place was to the left and back of the playing field as you look towards the sea away from the school. It became overgrown later on and was known as the dump. They did a check of the field before the current houses got built, not much was found.
The black nun ghost story was used to keep students off the top floor when it stopped getting used.
Ignore Mr Crawford's recollections, they have never tallied with anyone elses haha
ReplyDeleteThe saxon burial ground was at the bottom of the top field, to the left as you face away from the school. It was affectionately known as the dump as it was left to overgrow. I think you can see it on old maps and I think, although I am not sure, that it predates the school. I can see the A floor where history and geography were taught later on being used as a war shelter but I am guessing there.