Victorian era restored at Clapton schoolhouse

The Old Schoolhouse pic: Clapton Arts Trust

The Clapton Arts Trust has outlined plans to restore the grade II-listed Old Schoolhouse on Lea Bridge Road. The building, built in 1841, is just a stone’s throw from the new Olympic Park. The Trust hope the restoration will bring the schoolhouse back into use to provide educational activities for local children.

CAT Chair Councillor Ian Rathbone said: “We are applying for a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant and if successful, we will open the school doors next year with a range of activities on offer for schools and colleges, as well as the general public.”

Negotiations are being held with the building’s owners, The Vision Group, and with a wide variety of other local charities and organisations who plan to be involved in the project.

Members of the CAT. pic: Jeanette Arnold

Parma Sulh, managing director of The Vision Group, said the project will not only preserve a heritage building, but will provide a fun learning environment for the Hackney community.

The grand room at the front of the building will be transformed into a living schoolroom complete with actors in period costume and a curriculum of authentic Victorian learning.

According to the Trust, the restoration will also incorporate a number of short walks around the site and grounds, with activities such as sketching classes provided at the heritage interest points nearby.

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