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 FlickrThe amphitheatre
carmel 016 (2) by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThe synagogue
carmel 079 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThe 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 FlickrI don’t know what this building is, I liked the reflection.
chapel 015 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrI like German Shepards too.
swimming pool 223 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThe 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 FlickrOk 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 FlickrOh, 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 FlickrThis 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 FlickrAnd 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 FlickrSo 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 FlickrThis 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 FlickrI never touched any of them petals.
chapel 087 by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrI 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 FlickrIt 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 FlickrWith 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
and others well it wasn't me 
...oh and yes sadly I did move that leaf
