Antique Victorian cast iron school fireplace. Circa 1870. Removed from an Albert Schools, Marple. We currently have a pair of these fireplaces available.
Finished with traditional black grate polish and supplied with a new clay fireback and cast iron bottom grate (not pictured) ready for a solid fuel fire once more.
Albert Schools was built circa 1869. The building was named after the Prince Consort, (Husband of Queen Victoria) who had died in 1861. It was known as the Albert Schools plural to designate its dual purpose – both a Sunday School and standard school. The driving force behind the establishment of the Marple school was Thomas Carver, the owner of the large local mill. Thomas Carver wanted to provide a better education for children of church members and his mill workers. As an incentive, attendance at the Albert Schools seems to have ensured half-time employment at the mill. The school closed in 1931. During the Second World War the school was rented by the Ministry of Labour and used from time to time to accommodate evacuees.