The Old Schoolat Aston Abbotts
Aston Abbotts school was built in 1849 and paid for by voluntary subscriptions in stages. It was designed to accomodate 120 pupils but the attendance was usually between 30 and 40 students (Source: Aston Abbotts 1000-2000).
In September 1939 the attendance rose for a short while to 107 pupils when a number of children were evacuated from London. This figure dropped in the following weeks as many of these were moved on elsewhere or returned home.
The headmistress at the time of the Second World War was Mrs Brook. This photograph of her was taken in 1941, one year after the Battle of Britain.
Mrs. Brook took part in the planting of the 'Lime Tree of Liberty' ceremony at Aston Abbotts Abbey, and some information about this can be read on our Aston Abbotts Abbey page.
On our January 2004 visit to Aston Abbotts, we called in at The Old School and were invited in for a look around. The building is now privately owned, and the owners have a photograph dating back to 1971 showing the school still in use.
The Aston Abbotts website indicates that the school closed in 1978, and the currrent owners believe that the school documents would have been passed back to the Oxford Diocese. Given some more time this is an area for further investigation as it may be possible to verify attendance of the Czechoslovak students.
A reminder of the Czechoslovak governments presence in the area is provided by a globe which they donated to Aston Abbotts school in 1942. Following the closure of the school in 1978 the globe was kept by the diocese, in the church next door.
The globe was eventually given to the Buckinghamshire County Museum in Aylesbury by the churchwardens and Parish Church Council in November 1987. It is still there and can be viewed by special appointment through the Resource Centre (see contact details at the end of this page).
I visited with Neil on the 15th January 2004 to view the globe after having made an appointment in advance. The County museum allowed us to take photographs for our own personal use and have also allowed us to publish images of the globe on our own personal websites. Please note that further licensing and permission are required to reproduce these pictures elsewhere.
On the wooden base of the globe there is a paper label which was affixed sometime after Dr. Beneš's death in 1948.
The label reads:
This globe was presented to this school on the 24th December 1942 by Dr. Bene&scaron, late President of Czechoslovakia. He resided at the Abbey during the 1939-45 war.
An additional donation made by the government when they returned to Czechoslovakia provided for some play equipment at Aston Abbotts school.
During the last 20 years of private ownership, the old school building has been operated as The Old Masters Restaurant
, but it is now used as a private residence again by the same owners.
If you happen to visit Aston Abbotts, please respect that the Old School is a private residence and is therefore not open to the public.
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