Visited with Catullus and a non-member.
There are 2 sites on the same road separated by a few houses. We started on the St Mary’s Convent/ Lympne School site. Access was easy (even with my cracked rib), except for the chapel which was locked on both sides and the only open bit we could spot was an open window only big enough for a cat to get in.
After a few hours we headed down the road to the Westbrook House site, however we couldn’t find any access to the buildings (which are in an amazing condition and clearly well-kept) and so just got a few externals.
History:
Westbrook House was a boys’ Preparatory School based in Folkestone for 2-11 year olds. It was established on the site in Folkestone in 1947 by Kenneth Foster. In the 1970's it became Dover College Junior School.
St. Mary's Convent combined with the neighbouring Dover College Junior School at Westbrook House in 1998 and became jointly known as St. Mary's Westbrook and this existed until 2008 when it closed its doors with just 119 pupils on role whilst its capacity was 310.
However, by this point the St Mary’s Convent site was already empty, with the school just running from the Westbrook House site. In 2006 after a fire at Lympne CE Primary School, the school moved to St Mary’s until their own school could be rebuilt.
Photos:
There are 2 sites on the same road separated by a few houses. We started on the St Mary’s Convent/ Lympne School site. Access was easy (even with my cracked rib), except for the chapel which was locked on both sides and the only open bit we could spot was an open window only big enough for a cat to get in.
After a few hours we headed down the road to the Westbrook House site, however we couldn’t find any access to the buildings (which are in an amazing condition and clearly well-kept) and so just got a few externals.
History:
Westbrook House was a boys’ Preparatory School based in Folkestone for 2-11 year olds. It was established on the site in Folkestone in 1947 by Kenneth Foster. In the 1970's it became Dover College Junior School.
St. Mary's Convent combined with the neighbouring Dover College Junior School at Westbrook House in 1998 and became jointly known as St. Mary's Westbrook and this existed until 2008 when it closed its doors with just 119 pupils on role whilst its capacity was 310.
However, by this point the St Mary’s Convent site was already empty, with the school just running from the Westbrook House site. In 2006 after a fire at Lympne CE Primary School, the school moved to St Mary’s until their own school could be rebuilt.
Photos: