Owston Schools

The top picture is a barn known as the 'Corn Chamber' in which was held an early school in Owston.  It was heated in Winter by logs from the Owston Estate.


Carcroft National School / C. of E. Voluntary School

In 1842 and Act was passed "affording further facilities for the conveyance and endowment of sites for schools". In consideration of this, on 11 Feb 1843, Philip Davies Cooke conveyed a piece of land with a barn on Pickhill Lane, Carcroft, (now Chestnut Avenue), to the Rev. William Monck for the purpose of building a school and schoolhouse. The transaction was at a cost of £10. It would replace the school at Owston and was to be a school "for poor persons of and in the parish of Owston". P.B.Cooke gave £20 a year towards the running of the school.

In 1900, there were 60 children on the school roll with an average attendance of 50.   On 12 Dec 1900, the school was transferred from the Vicar to a School Board and became 'Owston and Skellow Council School'.   In an Act of 1902, School Boards were abolished and the school came under the control of the West Riding County Council.  As the population increased, with the opening of the pit, temporary buildings were provided, but these rapidly became overcrowded.  In 1913, the new "Owston and Skellow Council School" was opened on Skellow Road and this school closed.  (See also Carcroft Schools page).

The land and buildings were still under the ownership of P.B.Cooke and in 1902 he had them converted to two cottages.