# Claughton centre, Dudley, March 2018



## TranKmasT (Mar 26, 2018)

I'd had my eye on this for a while now, did a few recces last year. 3Rd time lucky.


Althought the facade looked promising, It's unfortunate the interior has been heavily modernised.





Sir Gilbert Claughton School was a secondary school located on Blowers Green Road in Dudley, England, in the Queen's Cross area of the town. It opened in 1904 and closed in 1990. It opened in 1904 as the Dudley Upper Standard School, but after three years it became the Higher Elementary School. Another name change came in 1929, when it became the Dudley Intermediate School. In December 1957, it adopted the Gilbert Claughton title as the Sir Gilbert Claughton Grammar Technical School. A new classroom block was added in the late 1950s, mostly for the teaching of Science and other practical subjects. The age range was altered from 11-18 to 12-18 in September 1972 and its status changed to comprehensive in September 1975. However, by the mid-1980s numbers were starting to fall and the sixth form centre had been axed, sparking fears that it would close. In 1985, there was talk of The Dudley School being merged with another local secondary school to form The Ednam School, and Sir Gilbert Claughton was one of the schools mentioned in the proposals for this new school. In 1988, there was talk of the school merging with The Blue Coat School on Kates Hill. However, in October 1988 Dudley council decided to merge the Dudley School with Blue Coat to form Castle High (at the main Dudley School site), which opened in September 1989, although Blue Coat would remain open for a year as an annex for the older pupils. In June 1989, just weeks before the end of the academic year, it was announced that all second year (12- to 13-year-old) and third year (13- to 14-year-old) pupils would be transferred from Sir Gilbert Claughton to Castle High or Holly Hall Schools with effect from September - along with the pupils starting secondary school at that time who had originally selected Sir Gilbert Claughton as their destination. However, the oldest remaining year group at the school would remain there until completing their secondary education in July 1990, when the school finally closed after 86 years. It was then turned into offices by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, who designated it as the Claughton Centre.



Thanks to Slayaaaa for the update..:thumb




https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defunct_schools_in_the_Metropolitan_Borough_of_Dudley








































































































































​


----------



## Mikeymutt (Mar 26, 2018)

Nice set that that.some lovely colours


----------



## UrbandonedTeam (Mar 26, 2018)

Love that atrium part, good work


----------



## prettyvacant71 (Mar 26, 2018)

Great subdued lighting in your shots, love the skylights, looks a wonderful building from the outside but such a shame its getting wrecked inside...looks like you had a good visit, really like your pics thanks!


----------



## Sam Haltin (Mar 26, 2018)

Nice photographs, some are atmospheric.


----------



## titimo82 (Mar 26, 2018)

nicely done


----------



## BikinGlynn (Mar 27, 2018)

Interesting place, strange to see a light well like that inside a building. Nicely captured!


----------



## HughieD (Mar 27, 2018)

Plenty of variety there. Good report!


----------



## Dirus_Strictus (Mar 27, 2018)

UrbandonedTeam said:


> Love that atrium part, good work



It's a shame that this much later glass addition - put there no doubt in the name of H&S, to stop the drugged up youth of the day falling over the bannisters - was thought to be necessary. Early B&W images without this monstrosity indicate a really striking space between floor and roof beams.


----------



## smiler (Mar 28, 2018)

You got a decent set from here, its a shame it's bin knocked about by idiots, 
All schools are obligated to carry out risk assessments of buildings and activities.


----------



## TranKmasT (Mar 28, 2018)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> It's a shame that this much later glass addition - put there no doubt in the name of H&S, to stop the drugged up youth of the day falling over the bannisters - was thought to be necessary. Early B&W images without this monstrosity indicate a really striking space between floor and roof beams.



As ghastly as the glass roof is I bet it was expensive. Surely a net would of sufficed.


----------



## mookster (Mar 28, 2018)

I actually quite like that glass roof in a weird way. It's certainly different.


----------

