Brockhurst and Marlston House School

Brockhurst and Marlston House School is a British independent and boarding preparatory school. It occupies Marlston House, a grade II* listed Elizabethan style house situated in the hamlet of Marlston and the civil parish of Bucklebury in the English county of Berkshire.

Brockhurst and Marlston House School
Location
Coordinates51.443483°N 1.239065°W / 51.443483; -1.239065
Information
TypeIndependent preparatory boarding school
Local authorityWest Berkshire
GenderCo-educational
Age3 to 13
Enrolment311[1]
Websitehttp://www.brockmarl.org.uk/

The house

The house lies on a historic site, and the seat of a manor, being occupied by a house from the Elizabethan era. At one point the manor was held by Richard Wightwick, who co-founded Pembroke College of the University of Oxford. By 1855 the house was occupied by Henry Mill Bunbury, who had the house remodelled by Mr. W. Butterfield.[2][3]

The current Marlston House was built between 1895 and 1899 by Edward Burgess in the Elizabethan style to replace that remodelled house. It was built for George Palmer, who was one of the founders of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit factory, mayor of the nearby town of Reading, and Member of Parliament for Reading. After George Palmer died in 1897, the house was occupied by his son, George William Palmer, who was also mayor of, and Member of Parliament for, Reading.[2][3][4]

The house has been used as a school since 1945. It was listed as a grade II* listed building in 1983.[2][4]

The school

The school comprises twin parts, known as Brockhurst (boys) and Marlston House (girls). In 2018 they had 311 pupils from the ages three to thirteen.[1] The various facilities provided by the school include 21 acres of games fields, a sports hall, a swimming pool, tennis courts, arts and design studios, Information and communications technology suite and equestrian school. In addition, there is a château in Gascony, south-west France, where the pupils practise French.[5]

Brockhurst was founded in 1884 as a boys’ boarding prep school at Church Stretton in Shropshire. In 1942 it moved to Broughton Hall near Eccleshall in Staffordshire. In 1945 it moved again, to its current home, becoming co-educational in 1995.[2][6]

In 2009, Country Life magazine included Brockhurst and Marlston House School among the best countryside preparatory schools of Great Britain.[7] In 2018 the School was rated 'Excellent' in all categories by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.[1]

The school's pupils, while the school was at Church Stretton, included politicians Rab Butler, Julian Critchley.[8] Another former pupil, Arthur Leyland Harrison, played rugby union for England in the 1914 Five Nations Championship and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918.[9] The politician Michael Heseltine was a pupil at the school when it was at Broughton Hall, Staffordshire.[10]

Notable former pupils

References
  1. "Focused compliance and educational quality inspection reports - Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools" (pdf). Independent Schools Inspectorate. April 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  2. "Marlston House and surrounding terrace". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  3. "Marlston History & genealogy resource". Forebears. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  4. "Marlston House and surrounding terrace". Historic England. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. Catt, John (2011). Which school? A directory of more than 2000 British independent schools (86th ed.). p. 58.
  6. Crowe, Raynour, Tony, Barrie (2011). Church Stretton through the ages. Greengates, Church Stretton. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978-0-9568018-0-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Davies, Simon (16 April 2009). "The Best Countryside Schools". Country Life Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  8. Crowe, Raynour, Tony, Barrie (2011). Church Stretton through the ages. Greengates, Church Stretton. pp. 114, 115. ISBN 978-0-9568018-0-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. "REMEMBERING ARTHUR LEYLAND HARRISON VC". England Rugby. England national rugby union team. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  10. Higgins, Interviews by Ria. "Relative Values: Lord Heseltine and his wife, Anne". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
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