Radley Then and Now

Radley College from the air: above in the 1950s, and below in 2022. The Warden’s House, bottom right, has now become part of the new L Social which opened its doors in 2020. Newer buildings can also be seen in the centre of the campus including Queen’s Court, opened in 1997 and the expanded Science Centre, opened in 2019.

The ‘Gate Photo’

In 1860, twelve Radley boys gathered together at a gate in the grounds for an informal photo. The College Socials were still at an early stage of development, and this might be one of the earliest photos of a full Social.

▶ Standing on the left are Charles A P Talbot (Senior Prefect 1860), Henry G L Crichton (Senior Prefect 1862), and William T Monsell.

For the 1969 edition of The Radleian a group of boys recreated the image taken over 100 years earlier. The boys were picked due to their similar appearance to the original figures, and the photo was taken at a gate at the beginning of the road towards Cheesers, looking back towards B Social.

We have been able to identify a number of the 1969 boys: Standing (L – R): Alex Boswell (1964, C) Klause MacFarlane (1965, A) Richard Westropp (1964, H) Jonathan Tootell (1966, H) (?) Hilary Clifford-Brown (1964, C) (?) John Beare (1966, B) The two on the right are currently unidentified. And lying on the left is (?) Stephen Goddard (1966, C) Other three currently unidentified.

Is this you?

Let us know by emailing radsoc@radley.org.uk

To mark the 175th anniversary, the photo has been recreated again. We found twelve willing boys among the College's 175 Ambassadors, and told them to meet the photographer at a gate near the Countryside Centre during Short Break. Just as in the 1969 version, care was taken to match the arrangement, poses and expressions of the original photo. Getting twelve boys to assemble at Cheesers from their various activities across the school, arrange themselves, and study their characters, all in half an hour between lessons was no small feat. They were all good sports, though, and took the task seriously.

The 2022 recreation, celebrating the 175th Anniversary of Radley College.

The evolution of Chapel, the heart of the College

The exterior of the east end of Chapel, summer 1952.

The extension to Chapel was completed in 2021, and a rededication took place in March 2022. The improvements include a spacious sanctuary with new stained glass, additional seating in the nave, and a new organ.

The exterior of the east end of Chapel in 2022 with the east apse extension.

The Lodge in 1891. The Lodge, built in 1891, has changed very little and, while it was a residential house for a period of time, including to don & composer George Butterworth, its purpose is now once again welcoming guests and ensuring security. The horse chestnut trees behind that line the main drive have grown (the photo of Lodge from 1906, bottom left, shows the immature trees) and are now being supplemented with disease-resistant varieties due to the increase of leaf-mining moth and leaf blotch fungus.

The Lodge and entrance gate in 2022.

The Lodge and entrance gate in 1906.

‘Old School’, now the Richard Morgan Library, is a seventeenth century barn that was relocated by Sewell and Singleton from the original location beside the main gate. The exterior (above, 1906 and 2022) of the Old School has changed very little. Inside (below, 1890s and 2010s), the structure of the space feels similar, with wooden beams and stained glass intact. The space was initially a communal classroom for all students. As the College grew, ‘it was reserved for lower school preparation, roll call, the making of Prefects, school assemblies, examinations, entertainments, the formation of Chapel procession, and fights,’ (A. K. Boyd, Radley College 1847 – 1947). During the Second World War, Eastbourne College used the Old School as their dining hall. After a prolonged stint as a useful multi-purpose room, it is once again the academic heart of the College – the Richard Morgan Library opened in 1996. Shop is one of Radley’s best-loved institutions, and has been running since the earliest years of the school. As well as the wellknown favourites – sweets, cans of coke, crisps, chicken rolls, even kebabs – Shop has also provided generations of boys with supplies of all descriptions, from gowns and ties, to stationery and books.

Shop and Rackets Court are seen on the right in 1906. This building, with a three-sided verandah, opened in 1894.

By the 1930s, Shop had been extended, and joined to Memorial Arch by the Shop Manager’s house, and included a tea room.

In 2022, Shop has reopened following extensive expansion and renovation. It includes a living wall, and can seat over 130 guests.

The exterior of the Old School from Clocktower Court, c. 1906.

The Old School in 1892.

Richard Morgan Library, refurbished in 1996, pictured here in 2016. The exterior of the Old School, now the library, 2022.

do you have any old photos of radley?

We would love to see them!

Get in touch by email, radsoc@radley.org.uk, to share old photos of you, your school friends, your Social, and the College buildings. They might even make it into the Radley archive.