 |
The view from the back of St.Edith's, the cricket pitch is still here, lots of houses have been built since the 1960's but still a lovely view - taken 2010
|
 |
St Edith's in the 1960's - looks like Sister Lydia's first car Austin A40
|
St. Edith's Dial Hill Road was originally called Hallam Hall. It was built in 1870 by Reverend Jabez Horne.
Dial Hill Road is the highest point in Clevedon overlooking the Bristol Channel, the building which can only be described as a huge Mansion dominates the whole of Clevedon, it is built on a huge Rabbit Warren.
Hallam Hall was a Boarding School for approximately 10 years before it became an Orphanage for homeless children. The Community of the Sisters of the Church who took over the School renamed the building St. Edith's, this soon became home to endless children. The body of Sisters belonged to The Anglican Communion of the Church , they ran the Orphanage, they lived under the gospel values of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.
St.Edith's remained for nearly 100 years, still caring for children before finally closing down in Janurary 1975. The building today , it is now a Grade 11 Listed Building, the name St.Edith's still remains ,the appearance is very much the same on the outside, its gothic style windows and turrett, however inside is a very different matter, the huge oak staircase and high ceilings are long gone, St Edith's is now 19 flats.
 |
Inside the hallway at St Edith's- this has been altered but once was the entrace to the huge reception where the large christmas tree taken 2012
|
 |
view from the steps of St Edith's - opposite is St.Gabriel's the bungalow built on the allotments, St Gabriels is home to the Sisters of the Church in Clevedon, Sister Anita and Sister Sue are currently based here. This was home to Sister Lydia for many years, Sister Lydia left here in 2004 to live back at St Michael's, Ham Common.
|
 |
The view from St Edith's
|
 |
The Somerset Times - looking for the kids of St Edith's
|
 |
The Somerset Times looking for the kids from St. Edith's
|
 |
The Bell at St Edith's overlooking the cricket field taken 2010
|
so sad ..wwas once very majestic xx
ReplyDeleteIt still has that impact on me each time I see it!
ReplyDeletei meant the inside was ....but its still a beautiful old building xx
ReplyDeleteWas there a statue or sign outside written in Braille?
DeleteI viewed the top flat last year before Sister Lydia became ill, the first time I ever went up the stairs to the Lucy Attic. Sister Lydia was quite upset to see the changes, we both were shocked to see the huge staircase ripped out, one would think you were in an office block when you now enter the flats on the side Carole.
ReplyDeleteLast year when we went to Clevedon, the Blizzard family very kindly invited us into their flat and let us look around. They have the original big, tall windows in their kitchen, looking out over the back towards the fields. It was hard to imagine the building as it would have been 50 years ago, but still very kind of them to welcome us into their home.
ReplyDeleteAlan Blizzard is such a good host to us, can you imagine it looking out his window seeing around 16 of us clambering up the steps to entrance, as usual he came out to greet us when we were there in July, again inviting us in to see his flat once the Chapel. Alan did say to let him know in advance when we are coming again as he can arrange for us to see some of the flats.
ReplyDeleteJust found this sight and was so excited.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Clevedon from 1956 onwards and went to school with a lot of the children from St Edith's and had many of the girls back to my birthday parties etc at my home in Coleridge Vale.
My father was the local butcher and I remember when the children came to visit they would feed our dog, in the end the home adopted him and he went to live there.
I always loved going to the home and seeing the sister's and have often talked to my children about them all.
Carol Davis (was ALLSOP)
would love to hear from anyone who might remember me.
Hi Carol, my name is Jon Hatt, you left flowers for my late aunt Gillian and my Grandmother would love to get in touch with you. I've just found you by chance through google! Please could you send me an email and I'll pass it on - jon_hatt@hotmail.com
DeleteHello Jon,
DeleteI will pass your email onto to Carole - am I right in saying that your Aunt was Gillian Bye,
if so I remember her well, there was a sister called Christina, Gillian was in my class at All Saints, I still hold a memory of being invited to her birthday party, was most pleased as we weren't always allowed to attend. Sister Lydia changed a lot of rules in our favour.
Regards Linda Rodriguez (nee Richards)
Hi Carole,
DeleteAlways a bonus when someone new finds the site, makes it all so worthwhile. Were you at All Saints! if so I was probably at School with you. I am having problems with the GoogleMail on this site so have to log posts as anonymous. My email address is Rodriguezlinda2001@yahoo.co.uk if you need to contact me.
Kind Regards Linda (nee Richards)
It's uncanny for me that the Ormerod Home at St Anns was linked to St Ediths at Clevedon. My Mother, Ruby Catherine Lewis, lived in Clevedon up the early 1920s. Later on the family settled in Blackpool on account of my Father's career/wartime service in the RAF. Dad died shortly after the war and mother decided to stay on in Blackpool due to kind supportive neighbours. Sometime in the early 1950s I stayed at the Ormerod and then later on at about the age of 12 -13 I spent my summer holidays in Highdale Rd Clevedon with the Yude Family. Quen Yude was an old school time friend of my mum and also came to visit us in Blackpool after holidaying in the rain soaked Lake District. After fond memories of the Ormerod Home it would have been good to call in at St Ediths. Over a number of years past I have made many revisits to Clevedon and have worshiped in at Saints on occasion.
ReplyDeleteMy sister, my brother and I (with spot) went here when my mum was kicked out of the rooms at St. Johns in Oxford, in about 1950, because they did not want kids there. My brother was asked to leave, because he wet the bed, and had to go to another home for boys in Broadstairs. Mum eventually got a rented flat, and nursed paying old people, in a street below here and we had to walk past her flat everyday to go to either church or school. I hated it there and still do have very bad memories of our lonely time there. I went back there a few years ago with my sister and we both shuddered at the memory of it all. I suppose they gave us a home in a very dark time in our lives, but that's about it I am afraid.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me if this comment is about Broadstairs or St Edith's Clevedon?
DeleteI have horrible memories of this place. My parents dumped my brother there, temporarily as it turned out.
ReplyDeleteI was very young, perhaps 5-6 and no idea what was going on, except we were told we had to stay here for awhile, as mummy and daddy were going away.
Both my parents are now dead so I can't ask them, but looking at there old photos from that age, I see they were on holiday in Italy together, so I was probably only interned there for 2-3 weeks, but it seemed an eternity.
The worst memory is my mother buying me a new toy as a treat. I went down to dinner, and when I returned, someone had smashed it to pieces.
I've never forgotten or forgiven.
This was ca. 1954-56 I would guess. Sorry about the typos above. No option to edit.
DeleteAre you referring to Broadstairs or St Edith's Clevedon?
DeleteHi, I have very happy memories of living at St Edith's from 63/76 best years of my life we went on holiday every year to the pantomimes the cinema always feed and clean clothes and accessories lovely bed to sleep in very fond memories 😍xx
ReplyDeleteI love reading all the stories about this amazing building. It is sad that they never thought to save the integrity of the inside. It seems the object was to get as many flats as they could. I use to wonder what this amazing building was when I first move to Clevedon as you can see it coming from w- s- M on the M5 also from Princes Road Clevedon. I couldn't believe my luck, when I was looking for somewhere to buy and this flat came up. I have now. I have now live here since 2014. I think my flat was the Chapel as it has the two large windows.
ReplyDeleteIn researching some notes taken from my great grandfather, He apparently attend Hallam Hall when it was a boarding school for boys. He subsequently came to the US (Colorado, where I currently live) and from there eventually ended up in the Los Angeles area of California. I have such lovely memories of him as he was alive till I was 17. Popcorn nights at GranDad's house were treasured amongst his great grandchildren.
ReplyDeletehi carol we went to school together we were good friends do you remember carol crump?
ReplyDeleteI was at St Edith’s 1958 till 1966 with my four sisters we was known as The Warren girls Sylvia Sullivan now
ReplyDeleteI was there at the same tjme, I remember you and your sisters, my name is Bernadette
Delete