Kington Museum Unveils Undiscovered Photo of One of England’s Oldest Schools

A photograph that had lain undiscovered for more than 90 years was revealed last Thursday at a special event organised by Kington Museum and History Centre. 

The photo dates from 1932 and is a record of the Pageant held to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of Lady Hawkins’ School, Kington. 

The Acting Chair of Kington Museum, Nicy Roberts, welcomed the Mayor of Kington, Councillor Philip Sell, the Headteacher of Lady Hawkins’ School, Allen Brace with two of the school’s students, and other local residents. 

Mrs Roberts gave a short speech describing how the photograph had been discovered by accident in the Museum archives by curator Wendy Jones, and how it had been lovingly cleaned and framed in the local picture framing shop. 

The photograph shows all the staff and students in Elizabethan costume, and is complemented by copies of photos of scenes from the pageant held in May 1932. 

Allen Brace, headteacher, told the gathering that Lady Hawkins School is one of the 20 oldest schools in the country, having been through both a Civil War and two World Wars.

The photo and other exhibits are currently on display in ‘Cloud Nine’, the health spa at The Burton Hotel in Kington until the end of April, and members of the public are invited to come and identify people they may have known who appear on the photo. 

From next month the exhibition will be moved back to Kington Museum in Mill Street.