History of Sedbergh School in 50 Objects #14: Powell House

The building now known as Powell House was originally built in 1893 to house the bachelor masters who worked at School. This Masters’ Hostel provided very comfortable living arrangements, with domestic staff to clean clothes, polish shoes and buttons, tend fires and cook meals. This would have been an attractive prospect for the male staff lucky enough to enjoy the privilege of quarters in the Hostel.

During the First World War pupil numbers swelled to fill existing houses and with a surplice of boys seeking places, two new houses were created. The Masters’ Hostel was converted and extended into what we now know as Powell House, occupied by boys for the first time in 1916. As the house did not have the full complement of boys accommodated in other houses, Powell joined with the newly formed Winder House to create ‘United Houses’, a combined team who competed in house competitions together.

Powell House is named after one of Sedbergh’s Old Boys and one of its greatest benefactors, Sir Francis Sharp Powell whose generosity paid for many of the School’s buildings. Sir Francis Sharp Powell was Chairman of the Governors 1884 to 1911 and oversaw the much of the building work that created the iconic structures still standing today. His portrait hangs in Powell Hall, which is also named after him.

The first Housemaster was Mr WF Henning. The Sedberghian of June 1916 records “The Hostel is no more … from its ruins arise our seventh House, called Powell. There under the aegis of Mr Henning with a small leaven of seniors, some dozen newcomers are finding life a very pleasant affair.” Powell has been extended and altered over the years and lost much of its yard to the Sports Hall in the late 1980’s.

Powell House has a magazine called the Chameleon and no one has yet been able to ascertain the reason for the colour pink having been assigned to Powell as a House colour.

Amongst Powell House’s famous sons are several of note who have joined the creative arts world including painters Leonard Boden (1925 – 28) and Andrew Radcliffe (1962 – 65) who have both painted members of the royal family, and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (1983 – 85) perhaps best known for The Full Monty and Slum Dog Millionaire.