Report - Lea Road School, Gainsborough, October 2019

[Wappy]

Explore
Well this is one that we spotted on the way to somewhere else.From where we saw it from it looked prity promising.Evan more so when we pulled up outside and noticed how well it was sealed up.
Rather excited we started to look round for a way in,its not for everyone and if id have know what was ahead i wouldnt have bothered.But since we went to trouble i thought may aswell get a few photos.
Couldnt find alot of history about the place only this of the Gainsboroughs heritage page on facebook.If it only helps 1 person not to bother the dodgy enterance it will be worth it.

History
Gainsborough's Lea Road School (latterly called "South County School") was opened as Lea Road Council Scool in 1906 for the last 30 years or so till its closure in 1993 it was purely an infants school. Previous to that it was mixed infants and senior Girls, the Boys going to Benjamin Adlard.
After closure, the building was rented out as office space, but that use has fairly recently ended with the opening of a modern business centre elsewhere in the town

Info from https://www.facebook.com/GainsboroughHeritage/?__tn__=,d,P-R&eid=ARCHh4wythP4uB11-BaMbZgCjMaWzV3GBf_yJygdW0ilh3laGmYNYqGGl0PGa91oQzrtpGPdlZT9ElXG

Back in the day

Today

The rear

Inside

Another inside

Sky light

Prity much same all over

Classroom

Thanks for looking

 

[mookster]

Corr thats well rotted!

 

[HughieD]

Good work @Wappy Yeah - had a good look at this from the outside and given how derpy it looked didn't really fancy it so let it at that.

 

[Yorrick]

I do like a Victorian school and some lovely decay there, but your photos don't seem to agree with this -

The building was rented out as office space, but that use has fairly recently ended with the opening of a modern business centre elsewhere in the town

.. or do you know when that history was posted, because the photos you've shown don't seem to agree with "recently ended"

 

[Wappy]

I do like a Victorian school and some lovely decay there, but your photos don't seem to agree with this -

.. or do you know when that history was posted, because the photos you've shown don't seem to agree with "recently ended"

i was just going on what had been said on the heritage page. Iam not sure when exactly that was posted to be fair am guessing just after it shut in 1993. I agree it doesnt look like its been anything since the school. Would you like me to edit it ?

 

[Yorrick]

i was just going on what had been said on the heritage page. Iam not sure when exactly that was posted to be fair am guessing just after it shut in 1993. I agree it doesn't look like its been anything since the school. Would you like me to edit it ?

Fair enough. No leave it as it is for now. I'll see if I can find anything else in the morning if you want?

 

[Wappy]

Fair enough. No leave it as it is for now. I'll see if I can find anything else in the morning if you want?

yeah that would be great like i said it wasnt the one i was planning on doing and thats about all i could seem to find. I have another 2 from the same day 2 farm houses which am also trying to get any info on because iam finding very little but they were both decent old farm houses. One of thems called hound farm, in Haxey and the other is 5 mins walk away.Any help would be great thanks .

 

[Calamity Jane]

I know its really wrecked but some love natural decay and peeling paint, and this has a bucket full. So I personally like this :

 

[Yorrick]

There's not a lot -

Gainsborough's Lea Road School was opened as Lea Road Council School in 1906. Initially it was an infants’ (up to age 7) school. In August 1930 it re-organised to accommodate Infants, Junior Girls and Senior Girls. The school became Gainsborough Lea Road County Primary School and Gainsborough Lea Road Secondary Modern School for girls around 1945. It had its own indoor pool which was built circa 1966 in the end ground floor classroom. For the last 30 years or so till its closure in 1993 it was purely an infants school.

From 1997 the building was rented out as office space, but that use ended around 2010.

The local rag reported in 2013 -

An English Heritage spokesperson told The Standard: “The County Council own Lea Road School and it’s their responsibility to look after the building.”

“We’ve suggested that they should secure the building and make temporary repairs to the roof to stop it deteriorating further while options for re-use of the building are explored.”

Lincolnshire County Council told the Standard: “Our contractors regularly return to re-secure the site, but it is difficult to keep people out.

Unfortunately, the building is in a conservation area, and we’ve not been allowed to demolish it.”

In 2016 a Local Development Order was issued for the area from Kerry Foods to the Maltings, permitting development to be applied for. This area excludes the school but includes the playground / car park to the rear.

According to rightmove the school is currently under offer.

 

[Wappy]

There's not a lot -

Gainsborough's Lea Road School was opened as Lea Road Council School in 1906. Initially it was an infants’ (up to age 7) school. In August 1930 it re-organised to accommodate Infants, Junior Girls and Senior Girls. The school became Gainsborough Lea Road County Primary School and Gainsborough Lea Road Secondary Modern School for girls around 1945. It had its own indoor pool which was built circa 1966 in the end ground floor classroom. For the last 30 years or so till its closure in 1993 it was purely an infants school.

From 1997 the building was rented out as office space, but that use ended around 2010.

The local rag reported in 2013 -

An English Heritage spokesperson told The Standard: “The County Council own Lea Road School and it’s their responsibility to look after the building.”

“We’ve suggested that they should secure the building and make temporary repairs to the roof to stop it deteriorating further while options for re-use of the building are explored.”

Lincolnshire County Council told the Standard: “Our contractors regularly return to re-secure the site, but it is difficult to keep people out.

Unfortunately, the building is in a conservation area, and we’ve not been allowed to demolish it.”

In 2016 a Local Development Order was issued for the area from Kerry Foods to the Maltings, permitting development to be applied for. This area excludes the school but includes the playground / car park to the rear.

According to rightmove the school is currently under offer.

Thanks @Yorrick for that sorry for sounding cheeky did you have any joy with the Hound Farm and the fresh fruit farm both 5 mins away from each other in Graizelound, Haxey ? ive some good photos but cant find any on secoNd one and very little on the hound farm. Obvously il credit anyone for any info it seems a shame not to share them evan if i put both in 1 report maybe ??