History of Sedbergh School in 50 Objects #26: Winder House
Numbers in the School increased to such a degree during the First World War that two new Houses were founded, Powell in what was the Masters’ Hostel, and Winder up in the town. Winder House started in 1915 in Highfield Villas, on Highfield Road, in the building which is now the Masonic Hall. The Headmaster’s report to the Governors dated 2nd October, 1915, stated that “increased numbers have compelled me to open a small House (Winder – Mr Counsell)”. Pupil numbers grew and the Highfield Villas incarnation of Winder House held 42 boys at its peak.
In its early days, to make up the numbers of senior boys some transferred from other houses. Frank Duxbury transferring from School House to Winder was one such boy. Duxbury was twice winner of the Ten Mile, Head of Winder House in his final year at Sedbergh and later founded a school called Sedbergh in Canada, inspired by the house system and outdoor ethos of our original School.
There is an interesting entry in the Governors’ minutes in 1924 in which it was suggested that the new House should be called Lupton and Lupton House be renamed Winder, as it would become the closest house to the iconic fell once ‘Winder’ moved to its new location on the far side of town. However, this was not implemented as it was thought to be too confusing.
Winder House on its present site was completed in 1926. In the Headmaster’s report to the Governors on 11th May 1926 he stated that “Mr Gorton has transferred his boys from Highfield Villas to the new Winder House. Work on the new House is not yet completed, but the boys seem to have settled down happily in their new surroundings”; the total number of boys in the new House during the summer term of 1926 was 49.
The first Housemaster of Winder House was Mr Counsell and the first in the new building was the Revd. Neville Gorton, who was to go on to become Headmaster of Blundell’s School and then Bishop of Coventry. The first House Tutor was Mr Frank Chawner, who later became Housemaster of both Hart and Powell Houses.
Famous sons of Winder House include explorer and adventurer Robert Swan (1970 – 74) who was the first person to walk to both poles; Lord Bingham of Cornhill (1947 – 52) a British judge and jurist who held the offices of Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice and Senior Law Lord; and Will Carling (1979 – 84), former Rugby union player for the Harlequins and Captain of England from 1988 to 1996.
The House colour is purple and the House magazine, when it appears, is now known as the Mole but started life as the Winderian.
