Cheltenham’s Lower High Street is being demolished later this year to make room for ‘Phase II’ of The Brewery. The development will provide a 104-bed hotel and 34 town centre apartments above 100,000 sq ft of retail space. The attractive modern design will provide a vibrant retail frontage, and include a safe pedestrian link through to the existing Brewery facilities.

However, did you know that the current Lower High Street was once home to an educational establishment – Cheltenham Boys’ Grammar School? Where today the cinema, Tesco and various other retail shops stand, caps, mortar boards and blazers were once commonplace.

The school was designed by local architects Knight and Chatters and, despite being over-crowded and the sports field being situated miles away, is said to have had a great spirit and a sense of history that was almost tangible. It was erected in 1887, replacing the original Tudor school of 1578, and showcased many elements of the Tudor Gothic style from gargoyles and heraldic decorations to a castellated roofline and an octagonal turret. No doubt an extremely impressive building.

Famous attendees of the school include Benjamin Baker (builder of the Forth Bridge), Gustav Holst (composer of the Planet Suite), Gilbert Jessop (England cricketer) and Sir Frederick Handley-Page (aircraft designer whose company made the Halifax bomber).

When it was demolished in the late 1960s, the Grammar School moved to a brand new building in Hester’s Way, unfortunately losing its vast history.