Back of the School

View of the back of the School in 2002

View of the back of the School in 1912

After its closure as a place of full-time education, the school building became the Hind Hill Centre, housing a variety of local government offices and providing venues for community activities. In 2002 the building was in a shocking condition. Thirty years of neglect had left it in such a poor state that its survival was in doubt. A few thousand pounds spent over the years just to maintain the roof would have prevented most of the serious damage, but the cost of refurbishment was in seven figures, and so was the cost of a proposed (and much smaller) replacement.

The interior of the building had changed greatly, in addition to the general decay. Safety regulations had necessitated the construction of fire doors along the corridors, and the large rooms used for Physics, Domestic Science and Woodwork had been made much smaller, with corridors introduced along the walls adjacent to what was the girls' playground, then a car park. There was lift access by an extension to the building along Pine Street. All original entrances to the building were permanently closed, and the only access was through the new extension via the car park.

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