The History of Simonsbath School
Interior of the Old School after restoration in Deember 2019. Photo by T. Thurlow
At The heart of the tiny village of Simonsbath is a complex of buildings that, for the last 18 months have been concealed behind protective sheeting until December 2019 when it was restored. What are these buildings and what is going to happen to them?
In 1970 Simonsbath School finally closed and the remaining few pupils were transferred to schools in neighbouring communities. The school had opened in 1857 and through its doors had passed the children of most of the farming families from across Exmoor – and by Exmoor I mean the former Royal Forest of Exmoor, which by this time had become the parish of Exmoor. The buildings were next used as an outdoor education centre but this use gradually ceased. By September 2013 when Exmoor National Park acquired them, they had suffered from years of neglect and lack of investment. The acquisition of the buildings was driven by a recognition that they lie at the heart of the historic village and they reflect the social history of the village – as such they are important buildings in their own right - but that there was an opportunity to explore uses for them which could both ensure their survival as well as resulting in multiple local benefits going into the future. In the words of Historic England: ‘The inclusion of heritage assets in regeneration schemes provides a focus and catalyst for sustainable change.’
We would love to hear from past pupils of the school and record their memories, no matter how small. Any recollections and photos on life in Simonsbath school will help us to build a picture and eventually we would like to document them for all to see in the proposed history part of the development.
At The heart of the tiny village of Simonsbath is a complex of buildings that, for the last 18 months have been concealed behind protective sheeting until December 2019 when it was restored. What are these buildings and what is going to happen to them?
In 1970 Simonsbath School finally closed and the remaining few pupils were transferred to schools in neighbouring communities. The school had opened in 1857 and through its doors had passed the children of most of the farming families from across Exmoor – and by Exmoor I mean the former Royal Forest of Exmoor, which by this time had become the parish of Exmoor. The buildings were next used as an outdoor education centre but this use gradually ceased. By September 2013 when Exmoor National Park acquired them, they had suffered from years of neglect and lack of investment. The acquisition of the buildings was driven by a recognition that they lie at the heart of the historic village and they reflect the social history of the village – as such they are important buildings in their own right - but that there was an opportunity to explore uses for them which could both ensure their survival as well as resulting in multiple local benefits going into the future. In the words of Historic England: ‘The inclusion of heritage assets in regeneration schemes provides a focus and catalyst for sustainable change.’
We would love to hear from past pupils of the school and record their memories, no matter how small. Any recollections and photos on life in Simonsbath school will help us to build a picture and eventually we would like to document them for all to see in the proposed history part of the development.
David Hoggan - Woodsman 1897 - 1912
The great grand daughter of David Hoggan (Viscount Ebrington/Lord Fortescue’s woodsman at Simonsbath from 1897 – 1912) came to visit Simonsbath in September 2019 and attended the Heritage Open Day. Karen Jenks is the granddaughter of one of David Hoggan’s youngest son’s, George, who was born in Simonsbath in 1910. Mr Hoggan is said to have been responsible for planting many of the trees seen around Simonsbath today. Below is a photograph of Mr Hoggan, his wife and his eleven children. Many of his children were born in Simonsbath and went to school there. They are also in the main photograph on the left and it is believed that the three small boys in the centre are all David Hoggan's boys.
