# Carmel College pool / chapel Summer '17



## prettyvacant71 (Jul 23, 2017)

*Carmel College *

*A little history...*


Carmel College in Mongewell park, Oxfordshire was founded by the late Kopul Rosen, with the Mansion house being built in 1888 and was used as a hospital for wounded officers during The First World War. Several of the buildings were designed by the local architect Thomas Handcock and Sir Basil Spence. Known as the “Jewish Eton” the college was Europe’s only Jewish boarding school and operated from 1948-1997, although some non Jewish pupils also attended. Carmel pupils were aged between 11-18 years of age with the alumini being referred to as “Old Carmelis”. 


From 1990-97 it topped the list of most expensive boarding schools in the county, with typical boarding fees for 1996 being £30,000 a year. The selection process was competitive with applicants requiring to sit entrance exams to demonstrate their ability to contribute to the school ethos and uphold core values (sadly these high standards obviously didn’t apply to certain members of staff who have subsequently been convicted of noncing some of the kids). 


The college closed in 1997 due to the reduction of pupils and the institution suffering financial difficulties due to the termination of government assisted places. A small chapel of St. John The Baptist remains open within the grounds, although no longer used for regular services it remains consecrated and is cared for by The Churches Conservation Trust.
The site has been used many times as a filming location, with Mongewell House being inspirational as “Monkswell Manor” in the longest running West End show, Agatha Christie’s play The Mouse Trap.
*


Future Plans for the site...*


The 31.8 hectare site has three Listed buildings; the Julius Gottlieb gallery and boat house, the Jewish Synagogue and an amphitheatre. Plans have been submitted for a new housing development which will incorporate these surviving buildings into the scheme. In total 24 buildings will be demolished including the old dormitories and science block to make way for 13 new two and three story buildings. Redevelopment work has been delayed due to financial issues.

(wiki, Oxfordshire Guardian,HOME - carmelcollege.co.uk)

*
First a little look around the college grounds...*



carmel 008 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The amphitheatre




carmel 016 (2) by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The synagogue



carmel 079 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The Julius Gottlieb gallery (when I Googled this name, as you do, to research some info, a load of stuff came up about a nonce of the same name, sadly every religion practices noncing in one way or another. The nonce in question isn’t the one this gallery is named after as it’s in a different era, but as this establishment has staff guilty of historic sex abuse cases there maybe a connection somewhere down the line, or not).




chapel 009 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

I don’t know what this building is, I liked the reflection.




chapel 015 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

I like German Shepards too.




swimming pool 223 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The River Thames flows past the college so I guess this stream flows into it, or out of it… 



*Into the swimming pool...*


swimming pool 007 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 013 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Ok MikeyMutt, you see that leaf in the foreground, well it was slightly overlapping into another one of the squares so I had to nudge it back a little into the centre of the tile. Now when your wasting valuable time like this faffing about doing pointless shit that only matters to you…suddenly moving that axe about in budgerigar cottage seems perfectly normal yeah?




swimming pool 018 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



swimming pool 033 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Oh, somebody else who takes balloons into the toilet with them




swimming pool 034 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 041 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 110 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

This little pool of lurgies use to scare me when I was at school…it was always full of verruca plasters floating about ready to attach themselves to your toes. I’m traumatised. 




swimming pool 113 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 045 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 061 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 067 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

And don’t you be having any fun either




swimming pool 098 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



swimming pool 074 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 089 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 217 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 119 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 134 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 174 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 176 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 188 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 204 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




swimming pool 215 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



So I tried to be stealthy as I left the pool and take a slow trot into a gentle canter, which lead into a frenzied gallop across the green and over to the chapel…I saw the look on that German Shepards face he ain’t avin me this time



chapel 043 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 050 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


This is the St.John The Bapist Chapel, an Anglican parish church and ruins. It was made redundant in 1981 and is now under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It was built in the 12th century from the Norman and Gothic styles, oooh la laaa ave some of that. It is Grade II Listed, love it. 




chapel 079 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 090 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

I never touched any of them petals.



chapel 087 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

I should of moved them chairs about a bit…no I’m not going back.



chapel 139 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 151 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 156 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

It wasn’t hard to miss that most of the faces or in this case noses had been smashed off, possibly something to do with The Reformation or Henry VIII, yeah lets blame him he got everywhere.




chapel 178 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 205 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 218 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




chapel 228 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




carmel 546 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


With my kinda luck and all this activity going on I’m surprised I didn’t get shot then eaten.



Well its not worth going there to take a dip but I hope you enjoyed lookin about the place!


Thanks for lookin, be lucky folks


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## RedX_unleashed (Jul 24, 2017)

Wow, this place is superb - and very well photographed.


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## HughieD (Jul 24, 2017)

That's one mega report PV. What a place. That pool is a minter and the church a little gem. Enjoyed that. Thank you...


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## krela (Jul 24, 2017)

Fantastic, thanks PV.


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## Brewtal (Jul 24, 2017)

Is there an inch of this site that you didn't photograph!? Nice work, absolutely superb stuff!


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## Gromr (Jul 24, 2017)

Cracking work, photos are superbly composed.


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## brickworx (Jul 24, 2017)

Beautiful! Ty


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## Mikeymutt (Jul 24, 2017)

You got some beautiful shots there p.v and saw a lot more than I did..and did you really move that leaf to the middle of the tile.what would you be like with the axes.but I remember bumping into you at the sewing house all them yrs ago when I had just started.and you were doing a shot outside and you kept moving little things.i had shot all downstairs and you were still doing the same shot.lol.but to be honest you were the first explorer I had met and you inspired me to do better take more time and learn.not long after that I got a better camera.so it's your fault ha ha..really enjoyed that post thanks


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## Sam Haltin (Jul 24, 2017)

Very nicely photographed. You were correct in saying that the church is nice, all it needs is to give the tiled floor a good scrub to bring out the colours.


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## Rubex (Jul 24, 2017)

Haha lovely stuff prettyvacant! It's good to see the rest of this place, excellent as always!!


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## prettyvacant71 (Jul 25, 2017)

Brewtal said:


> Is there an inch of this site that you didn't photograph!? Nice work, absolutely superb stuff!



lol...yes there is Brewtal! There's about 3 or 4 rather interesting buildings I haven't seen...hmmmm


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## prettyvacant71 (Jul 25, 2017)

Mikeymutt said:


> You got some beautiful shots there p.v and saw a lot more than I did..and did you really move that leaf to the middle of the tile.what would you be like with the axes.but I remember bumping into you at the sewing house all them yrs ago when I had just started.and you were doing a shot outside and you kept moving little things.i had shot all downstairs and you were still doing the same shot.lol.but to be honest you were the first explorer I had met and you inspired me to do better take more time and learn.not long after that I got a better camera.so it's your fault ha ha..really enjoyed that post thanks



Thanks Mikey! That's a truly lovely thing to hear! I've been blamed for a few things over the years lol some I have done, some I've got away with and others well it wasn't me ...but I feel honoured if it's my fault that something positive came out of our chance meeting In my defence though, that morning at the sewing machinists (I had got there too late so it was sewing machineless) I remember the morning sun wasn't a nice soft glow but a harsh bright glare and it was f00kin wiv me light meter hence faffing about even more than usual, oh do believe me...oh and yes sadly I did move that leaf


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## Dirus_Strictus (Jul 25, 2017)

Brilliant set of images prettyvacant. As for the chipped noses - Did you only see the damage on carvings of just heads, or was similar damage seen on full length and head and shoulder carvings? Damage like this is very common on carvings of just heads because they tend to be top heavy and can easily be pushed over. If you examine your photographs one can plainly see damage also to the male's collar tips and the ends of the female's 'headscarf' at neck level, this to me is an indication that these heads have been knocked over at some point in the past and unfortunately this type of marble is very prone to chipping/breakage (my late Uncle was a very good Monumental Mason).


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## smiler (Jul 25, 2017)

Now that is a bit good PV, I believe you're right in thinking that it got knocked about during the reformation a favorite pastime was shooting the noses off of statuary,. Damned good shooting considering what they had to use, beautiful photographs, I Loved It, Thanks


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## prettyvacant71 (Oct 2, 2017)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> Brilliant set of images prettyvacant. As for the chipped noses - Did you only see the damage on carvings of just heads, or was similar damage seen on full length and head and shoulder carvings? Damage like this is very common on carvings of just heads because they tend to be top heavy and can easily be pushed over. If you examine your photographs one can plainly see damage also to the male's collar tips and the ends of the female's 'headscarf' at neck level, this to me is an indication that these heads have been knocked over at some point in the past and unfortunately this type of marble is very prone to chipping/breakage (my late Uncle was a very good Monumental Mason).



How intriguing thanks for that DS...I was thinking Reformation stuff going on but there could be another reason too.


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