Giggleswick Grammar School
| Established | 1499 |
|---|---|
| Type | Independent boarding school |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headmaster | Mark Turnbull and James Mundell |
| Location |
Settle North Yorkshire BD24 0DE England |
| DfE URN | 121740 Tables |
| Students | 464 pupils |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 3–18 |
| Former pupils | Old Giggleswickians |
| Website | www |
Giggleswick School is an independent co-educational boarding school in Giggleswick, near Settle, North Yorkshire, England.
In 1499, Giggleswick School was founded on half an acre of land leased by the Prior and Convent of Durham, to James Carr, the chantry priest at the Parish Church of St Alkelda, to enclose and build, at his own expense, one 'Gramar Scole'. By 1512 the school consisted of two small, irregular buildings, next to the parish church. The school was run by the chantry priests until Edward VI dissolved the position. The school was saved by the petition of the King's Chaplain, John Nowell, and in 1553 it received its royal charter. The charter granted land and endowed it with the title: The Free Grammar School of King Edward the VI of Giggleswick. There is some evidence that there was a school on the same site from an earlier date. Giggleswick was one of 27 schools listed in the Public Schools Yearbook of 1889, and has claims to be one of the oldest public schools, although claims vary depending on the criteria used. In 2012 the school celebrated its 500th anniversary with numerous events throughout the year, including a ball, an outside concert and fireworks display.
The school continued in its original location until 1867, when it moved out of the village centre up the hill to its present location. At this point, a major expansion of the school and its facilities began. Boarding accommodation was added, playing fields were laid out, and new classrooms built.
The only remaining part of the second school, the covered courtyard, was converted into a shooting range, used by the school's Combined Cadet Force contingent and other Territorial Army units.
In 1897, work began on the school chapel, a gift from local landowner and school governor Walter Morrison (MP). The architect, T.G. Jackson designed the building to Morrison's unusual specifications: a Gothic structure with a dome, that fitted into the surrounding landscape as naturally as possible. It was Morrison's wish that the building should be completely fitted and furnished inside, to allow for no unsympathetic alteration in the future.
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