Description
Bancroft's School was founded in 1737 as a result of a bequest of 1728 by Francis Bancroft for the establishment of an almshouse and charitable school for 100 boys, to be run by the Drapers' Company. The original School and Almshouses were in Mile End Road in East London, but in 1884 a new site was sought in rural surroundings for the sake of the pupils' health. Bancroft's School moved to Woodford Green in 1889 and its collegiate style buildings and chapel remain, although the school has been extended over the years. The buildings are ranged around a landscaped quadrangle laid to grass, divided in two by a flagstone path with a central war memorial of 1920. The quadrangle is partly cloistered and has perimeter paths with a series of benches along the sides. The west side of the quadrangle has a screen consisting of a series of arches with ornamental railings and central gateway leading onto the terrace that overlooks the main school playing fields and cricket field.
Practical Information
| Site location | 611 High Road, Woodford Wells |
|---|---|
| Postcode | IG8 0RF |
| What3Words | ///fake.lasted.supporter |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Redbridge |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | private, open for Open House |
| Public Transport | Tube: Woodford (Central) then bus. Rail: Chingford then bus. Bus: 20, 179, W13 |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Bancroft's School was founded in 1737 as a result of a bequest of 1728 by Francis Bancroft of the City of London for the establishment of an almshouse and charitable school for 100 boys, to be run by the Drapers' Company as Trustees. Bancroft was buried in St Helen's Bishopsgate (q.v.) and the stone medallion with coat of arms rescued from his tomb in 1892 is placed over the internal entrance arch to the quadrangle. The original Bancroft's School and Almshouses were in Mile End Road in the East End, but in 1884 as London became increasingly unhealthy, a new site was sought in rural surroundings for the sake of the pupils' health. The Mile End site was sold to the Beaumont Trust who built the People's Palace, now the site of Queen Mary's College (q.v.). Bancroft's School moved to the current site in Woodford Green in 1889. The collegiate style school buildings designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and paid for by the Drapers Company remain, and include the chapel, although the school has been extended over the years. It opened in Woodford Green with around 200 boys, mainly boarders, and now has some 960 day pupils of both sexes. Blomfield's grand red brick, stone-dressed buildings are ranged around a landscaped quadrangle that is laid to grass, divided in two by the east/west flagstone path which has a central white stone war memorial of 1920 designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield. The quadrangle is partly cloistered and has perimeter flagstone paths with a series of benches along the sides.
The quadrangle is entered from the east through an arch in the high gatehouse tower, this latter having two corner turrets from which there are fine views of the surrounding area; the west side of the quadrangle is partly cloistered, with screen consisting of a series of arches with ornamental railings and central gateway leading onto the terrace which overlooks the main school playing fields/cricket field. A one storey sports pavilion with clock tower overlooks the playing fields from the south. At the main school entrance on the High Road are iron war memorial gates dating from 1950. Planting in the quadrangle is minimal with a single ornamental tree of recent planting in each area of lawn, with tubs of evergreen shrubs at each corner of the quadrangle and along the west screen.
The quadrangle is entered from the east through an arch in the high gatehouse tower, this latter having two corner turrets from which there are fine views of the surrounding area; the west side of the quadrangle is partly cloistered, with screen consisting of a series of arches with ornamental railings and central gateway leading onto the terrace which overlooks the main school playing fields/cricket field. A one storey sports pavilion with clock tower overlooks the playing fields from the south. At the main school entrance on the High Road are iron war memorial gates dating from 1950. Planting in the quadrangle is minimal with a single ornamental tree of recent planting in each area of lawn, with tubs of evergreen shrubs at each corner of the quadrangle and along the west screen.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ404931 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Bancroft's School |
| Site Management | Bancroft's School |
| Dates | 1889 |
| Designers | Sir Arthur Blomfield |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Bancroft's School main quadrangle, library, chapel |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Redbridge |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Woodford Wells |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Space - playing fields |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Knighton Wood, together with the adjacent Lords Bushes in Essex, is a remnant of ancient woodland of Epping Forest. Knighton Wood was enclosed in the C18th and remained in private ownership until 1930, when it was returned to the forest as public open space. From 1863 the Knighton Estate was owned by Edward North Buxton, a leading campaigner for Epping Forest. He laid out his grounds around the house. His fine gardens included exotic species and shrubs, a 1.5 acre lake with Pulham Rock Bank at the western end. Knighton was known for its spring show of rhododendrons and daffodils.
Named after Richard Hert who lived here in 1270, the original Hart House next to Woodford Green was built in 1617 for Sir Humphry Handforth, Master of the Wardrobe to James I who is said to have been entertained here when hunting nearby. The house was later owned by the Onslow family, and then by naturalist Richard Warner (1713-75), author of 'Plantae Woodfordiensis' (1771), who is reputed to have grown the first flowering gardenia here. After Warner's death Harts was owned by the Clarke Jervoise family. There are some remains of the former estate within a private garden, such as the C18th Icehouse and ruins of a former chapel/mock abbey incorporating C18th and mediaeval fragments. The present Harts House dates from 1816; it became Harts Hospital and is now converted into a private nursing home. Only a small part of the grounds remains due to the private housing development that has since overtaken the site.
Woodford Green is in two distinct sections, with a third and smaller green on the west side of High Road at High Elms. The southern section has perimeter horse chestnuts on its west side, with a poplar alley running through it. Settled since Saxon times, in the C17th Woodford attracted the rich, professional classes as a pleasant place to live at a convenient distance from London. The village character persisted until the arrival of the railway in the 1850s encouraged new housing development, bringing an influx of people and a more suburban aspect. The main village pond remains and cricket has been played on the Green for centuries. A statue of Sir Winston Churchill, who was MP for Wanstead and Woodford from 1924-1964 was unveiled on 31 October 1959.
