Silverhill School - Winterborne, South Gloucestershire - April 2025
History of the site
The site was originally a small country home known as Winterbourne House, most likely constructed in the 16th century; however, it was significantly remodelled in the 18th century, producing notable features such as a gazebo, a ha-ha wall, a duck pond and a prospect mound, all features that were characteristic of this time period.
In WW2, the home was utilised by the Royal Air Force, likely for accommodation or administration purposes; however, the exact nature of its use is unclear. Post WW2 the site would transition to become the new grounds for an already existing school known as Silverhill School; in 1992, Silverhill School operated at this site until its closure in 2020.
History of the former Silverhill School site (Rudgeway)
Silverhill School was an independent prep school and day nursery founded in 1949 in Rudgeway, South Gloucestershire. It operated at the former Rudgeway site until 1992, when it moved to the current site in Winterbourne in the same year. In 1994 the former building in Rudgeway became the office for a now-dissolved market research company called Wyman Dillon, which later moved to Bath in 2022. The former site is now home to Castlefell School, which opened at the former Silverhill site in 2024.
Silverhill School, Winterbourne
In 2008, 2011 and 2016, under the leadership of the headmistress Jenifer Capper, Silverhill School gained multiple 'Outstanding' ratings from Ofsted, showing the establishment excelled in many subjects with a wide curriculum, including activities such as swimming and music lessons. However, in February 2020, the Ofsted inspection rating of the school dropped to an 'inadequate', the lowest rating. This was due to the condition of the buildings and inadequate background checks on employees causing an unsafe environment for the children. The leadership team of the school claimed the rating was 'brutal' and 'inhumane'. The combination of the 'inadequate' rating and the COVID-19 pandemic led to strain on the school's finances, furthered by declining pupil numbers, and in July 2020 Silverhill School announced its permanent closure.
Arson Attack, July 2024
In 2024, the derelict former school building was subjected to an arson attack which caused significant damage to the southwest side of the building.
The explore, April 2025
We visited this site at night on a whim with no prior information about the place or the layout or how it looked. It is located in a field just off of the main road; using our torches, we easily found the large building in the darkness. The site still contains displays, signs, notice boards, belongings and classwork, which are all strange reminders of its relatively recent past. As we made our way down the hallways, we noticed the smell of smoke and ash lingering in the air. At the end of the hallway, we came across a piano and noticed the fire had torn through the roof above it; this was adjacent to the large burnt portion that you can see on the satellite image. The site contains many buildings, such as a science block, a nursery building and a building with a few octagonal-shaped classrooms. We just kept finding more buildings and didn't stay long enough to explore it all, unfortunately, as the sun was rising, and I had surgery that same day 😱. There is a house on the top north side of the site, and the lights were on, so be careful about making noise/shining torches around the top of the site if you don't want to get caught.
Thank you for reading my report, happy exploring!
History of the site
The site was originally a small country home known as Winterbourne House, most likely constructed in the 16th century; however, it was significantly remodelled in the 18th century, producing notable features such as a gazebo, a ha-ha wall, a duck pond and a prospect mound, all features that were characteristic of this time period.
In WW2, the home was utilised by the Royal Air Force, likely for accommodation or administration purposes; however, the exact nature of its use is unclear. Post WW2 the site would transition to become the new grounds for an already existing school known as Silverhill School; in 1992, Silverhill School operated at this site until its closure in 2020.
History of the former Silverhill School site (Rudgeway)
Silverhill School was an independent prep school and day nursery founded in 1949 in Rudgeway, South Gloucestershire. It operated at the former Rudgeway site until 1992, when it moved to the current site in Winterbourne in the same year. In 1994 the former building in Rudgeway became the office for a now-dissolved market research company called Wyman Dillon, which later moved to Bath in 2022. The former site is now home to Castlefell School, which opened at the former Silverhill site in 2024.
Silverhill School, Winterbourne
In 2008, 2011 and 2016, under the leadership of the headmistress Jenifer Capper, Silverhill School gained multiple 'Outstanding' ratings from Ofsted, showing the establishment excelled in many subjects with a wide curriculum, including activities such as swimming and music lessons. However, in February 2020, the Ofsted inspection rating of the school dropped to an 'inadequate', the lowest rating. This was due to the condition of the buildings and inadequate background checks on employees causing an unsafe environment for the children. The leadership team of the school claimed the rating was 'brutal' and 'inhumane'. The combination of the 'inadequate' rating and the COVID-19 pandemic led to strain on the school's finances, furthered by declining pupil numbers, and in July 2020 Silverhill School announced its permanent closure.
Arson Attack, July 2024
In 2024, the derelict former school building was subjected to an arson attack which caused significant damage to the southwest side of the building.
The explore, April 2025
We visited this site at night on a whim with no prior information about the place or the layout or how it looked. It is located in a field just off of the main road; using our torches, we easily found the large building in the darkness. The site still contains displays, signs, notice boards, belongings and classwork, which are all strange reminders of its relatively recent past. As we made our way down the hallways, we noticed the smell of smoke and ash lingering in the air. At the end of the hallway, we came across a piano and noticed the fire had torn through the roof above it; this was adjacent to the large burnt portion that you can see on the satellite image. The site contains many buildings, such as a science block, a nursery building and a building with a few octagonal-shaped classrooms. We just kept finding more buildings and didn't stay long enough to explore it all, unfortunately, as the sun was rising, and I had surgery that same day 😱. There is a house on the top north side of the site, and the lights were on, so be careful about making noise/shining torches around the top of the site if you don't want to get caught.
Thank you for reading my report, happy exploring!
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