A bit of background and history on Eastmoor...
Eastmoor Secure Unit for Children, aka The Leeds Reformatory for Boys, aka Eastmoor Approved School. Located near the small village of Adel in Leeds West Yorkshire.
The complex first opened in 1857 as the Leeds Reformatory for Boys. Up to the mid-C19, children who committed crimes were commonly sent to adult prisons as there was no separate provision. Philanthropic Societies and private founders set up some voluntary reformatories for young people in the early C19, but it was not until the Youthful Offenders Acts of 1854 that state registered institutions were established and pre-existing private reformatories were brought under state certification. Reformatories were distinguished from Industrial Schools by taking young people who had actually committed offences, as opposed to those who were merely destitute or neglected and in danger of falling into crime. By the end of 1857 there were 47 reformatory schools in England. Most of these occupied domestic buildings such as a farmhouse with land, or a detached house and garden. At least 14 were in new premises and four are known to have been built on a quadrangular plan. By 1876 the number of schools had risen to 53, but fell to 41 by 1894. The system was superseded by the Borstal system in the early C20 and many reformatories later became approved schools.
(Borstals were run by the prison service and dealt with older boys, approved schools/community homes were run by the local authority and dealt with a younger client group.)
The Adel Reformatory was founded in 1857 by the Leeds Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, on a site deliberately chosen to be removed from the temptations of the city. William Watson Hewitson of Kitson and Hewitson, locomotive builders and general engineers, was one of the founding members and also the designer of the earliest part of the building, the south-west range. There were around 50 boys at the school in 1858. The south-east range and headmaster’s house was added in 1860, when the attic floor of the initial range was converted to dormitories. The workshops of the north-east range, built by the boys in 1859, were rebuilt in 1881 after a fire, and a separate chapel to the south was added in 1882, designed by an unknown architect but apparently designed to function also as a lecture room and subsequently as a gym. There was no priest and the chapel was never consecrated. Surrounding land within the grounds was cultivated for crops and garden produce. The land was bought by Leeds City Council for £3,500 in 1875, having been leased to the Society by the (unknown) owner previously.
The swimming pool beyond the north-west range was added in c.1887 and roofed in 1896. A boiler room between the north-west range and the pool was inserted in 1899 to heat the pool. It was used by community groups as well as inmates, and swimming and life-saving were taught. (This swimming pool is now one of the oldest in the country.)
A report of the school from 1887 records 150 boys engaged in occupations including joinery, tailoring, shoemaking, farm work, calligraphy, building trades, cooking and blacksmithing. Many of the boys went on to join the Grimsby fishing fleet for which their swimming training was considered useful.
A group of buildings within the central courtyard, extant in 1893, was demolished by 1908, and an extension to the rear of the master’s house dates to between 1934 and 1954. There has been some infill between the main buildings and the adjacent swimming pool since the 1960s.
The buildings continued in use as an approved school named Eastmoor School from 1933 and then a community home when it was taken over by Leeds CC on 1st April 1973. It was then known as Eastmoor CHE, that is Community Home with Education. A number of separate houses were constructed around the core site from the 1950s onwards, but there has been little change to the C19 buildings externally. It closed in 1990 although the Secure Unit, which is a separate enterprise is still running. The site was leased to Leeds Metropolitan University from the late 1990s when the surrounding houses were used for student accommodation who left when a new campus opened in Headingley in 2003. In 1993 a secure unit for young offenders was built on part of the site, formerly open land also owned by Leeds City Council. It has been unused since c.2004 and has been marketed for housing development.
Because of its low profile it was suprising to hear that it housed certain 'high profile' boys obviously to keep the public from guessing where they were. I suppose we can say - as his identity's been changed now that Jon Venables was here at one point.
This quote from an ex pupil:
"I was a pupil at the school around 1967/8ish. I was 16/17 at the time. The school was an approved school at the time I was there. The house on the left as you enter the driveway was where the Deputy head master lived, then a bit further on was the Chapel, which had been converted to a Gym before I arrived. It was also used to dish out punishment (6 of the best on your bare bum from Taffy Davies the Dep Head, whilst bent over a horse (the type you use for gymnastics)) it was a specialist school & was used to teach you a trade, Building, Carpentry, Engineering etc. I was also a member of the Army Cadets & Civil Defence. We used to go camping & shooting. it was quite good really. I had never been on holiday until I went to Eastmoor. I am not implying it was a holiday camp, far from it, but we used to go camping & had days out around Yorkshire. I am from Staffordshire & Yorks was a different world to me then. There were 120 lads there at the time 30 lads to each house x 4 houses. Martin House the newish building far left was where you started your term of training, you then progressed to either Wilkinson or Bray house, to eventually finish up in Theaker house, from there you were either released or sent to other institutes to further your training. My time there was mostly enjoyable after the initial shock of being removed from home. As long as you kept your nose clean it wasn't so bad. It learned me a lot & if I had my time to go over again I probably wouldn't change a thing."
Another ex pupil:
"I was a resident there from 1969-71, it was called Eastmoor School; there were 4 houses Martin.. Wilkinson.. Bray.. and Theaker. you had to work your way up the tree and therefore move upwards to different houses.. Theaker being the last one or " pre discharge house ".
You could learn a trade and join various groups. I was allowed to attend college in Leeds from the school.
Evenings were spent on recreation; music, snooker etc, you were paid too and could spend your wages via the shop .. fags toiletries and sweets being the most common purchase.
There was also a mini sick bay, swimming pool and a farm too. All the food was cooked in the kitchen. The Friday fish & chips were legend; also the puddings.
Washing up rota was a right chore but it had to be done.
They say Ian Brady the moors murderer had a spell there." *
(*Unconfirmed - my research has shown he was in Scotland up to the age of 17 and attended Borstals at Manchester, Hatfield and Hull).
(Sources borrowed from the following: www.benscamera.com, www.28dayslater.co.uk, www.secretleeds.com, www.ukurbex.com and Facebook)
The complex first opened in 1857 as the Leeds Reformatory for Boys. Up to the mid-C19, children who committed crimes were commonly sent to adult prisons as there was no separate provision. Philanthropic Societies and private founders set up some voluntary reformatories for young people in the early C19, but it was not until the Youthful Offenders Acts of 1854 that state registered institutions were established and pre-existing private reformatories were brought under state certification. Reformatories were distinguished from Industrial Schools by taking young people who had actually committed offences, as opposed to those who were merely destitute or neglected and in danger of falling into crime. By the end of 1857 there were 47 reformatory schools in England. Most of these occupied domestic buildings such as a farmhouse with land, or a detached house and garden. At least 14 were in new premises and four are known to have been built on a quadrangular plan. By 1876 the number of schools had risen to 53, but fell to 41 by 1894. The system was superseded by the Borstal system in the early C20 and many reformatories later became approved schools.
(Borstals were run by the prison service and dealt with older boys, approved schools/community homes were run by the local authority and dealt with a younger client group.)
The Adel Reformatory was founded in 1857 by the Leeds Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, on a site deliberately chosen to be removed from the temptations of the city. William Watson Hewitson of Kitson and Hewitson, locomotive builders and general engineers, was one of the founding members and also the designer of the earliest part of the building, the south-west range. There were around 50 boys at the school in 1858. The south-east range and headmaster’s house was added in 1860, when the attic floor of the initial range was converted to dormitories. The workshops of the north-east range, built by the boys in 1859, were rebuilt in 1881 after a fire, and a separate chapel to the south was added in 1882, designed by an unknown architect but apparently designed to function also as a lecture room and subsequently as a gym. There was no priest and the chapel was never consecrated. Surrounding land within the grounds was cultivated for crops and garden produce. The land was bought by Leeds City Council for £3,500 in 1875, having been leased to the Society by the (unknown) owner previously.
The swimming pool beyond the north-west range was added in c.1887 and roofed in 1896. A boiler room between the north-west range and the pool was inserted in 1899 to heat the pool. It was used by community groups as well as inmates, and swimming and life-saving were taught. (This swimming pool is now one of the oldest in the country.)
A report of the school from 1887 records 150 boys engaged in occupations including joinery, tailoring, shoemaking, farm work, calligraphy, building trades, cooking and blacksmithing. Many of the boys went on to join the Grimsby fishing fleet for which their swimming training was considered useful.
A group of buildings within the central courtyard, extant in 1893, was demolished by 1908, and an extension to the rear of the master’s house dates to between 1934 and 1954. There has been some infill between the main buildings and the adjacent swimming pool since the 1960s.
The buildings continued in use as an approved school named Eastmoor School from 1933 and then a community home when it was taken over by Leeds CC on 1st April 1973. It was then known as Eastmoor CHE, that is Community Home with Education. A number of separate houses were constructed around the core site from the 1950s onwards, but there has been little change to the C19 buildings externally. It closed in 1990 although the Secure Unit, which is a separate enterprise is still running. The site was leased to Leeds Metropolitan University from the late 1990s when the surrounding houses were used for student accommodation who left when a new campus opened in Headingley in 2003. In 1993 a secure unit for young offenders was built on part of the site, formerly open land also owned by Leeds City Council. It has been unused since c.2004 and has been marketed for housing development.
Because of its low profile it was suprising to hear that it housed certain 'high profile' boys obviously to keep the public from guessing where they were. I suppose we can say - as his identity's been changed now that Jon Venables was here at one point.
This quote from an ex pupil:
"I was a pupil at the school around 1967/8ish. I was 16/17 at the time. The school was an approved school at the time I was there. The house on the left as you enter the driveway was where the Deputy head master lived, then a bit further on was the Chapel, which had been converted to a Gym before I arrived. It was also used to dish out punishment (6 of the best on your bare bum from Taffy Davies the Dep Head, whilst bent over a horse (the type you use for gymnastics)) it was a specialist school & was used to teach you a trade, Building, Carpentry, Engineering etc. I was also a member of the Army Cadets & Civil Defence. We used to go camping & shooting. it was quite good really. I had never been on holiday until I went to Eastmoor. I am not implying it was a holiday camp, far from it, but we used to go camping & had days out around Yorkshire. I am from Staffordshire & Yorks was a different world to me then. There were 120 lads there at the time 30 lads to each house x 4 houses. Martin House the newish building far left was where you started your term of training, you then progressed to either Wilkinson or Bray house, to eventually finish up in Theaker house, from there you were either released or sent to other institutes to further your training. My time there was mostly enjoyable after the initial shock of being removed from home. As long as you kept your nose clean it wasn't so bad. It learned me a lot & if I had my time to go over again I probably wouldn't change a thing."
Another ex pupil:
"I was a resident there from 1969-71, it was called Eastmoor School; there were 4 houses Martin.. Wilkinson.. Bray.. and Theaker. you had to work your way up the tree and therefore move upwards to different houses.. Theaker being the last one or " pre discharge house ".
You could learn a trade and join various groups. I was allowed to attend college in Leeds from the school.
Evenings were spent on recreation; music, snooker etc, you were paid too and could spend your wages via the shop .. fags toiletries and sweets being the most common purchase.
There was also a mini sick bay, swimming pool and a farm too. All the food was cooked in the kitchen. The Friday fish & chips were legend; also the puddings.
Washing up rota was a right chore but it had to be done.
They say Ian Brady the moors murderer had a spell there." *
(*Unconfirmed - my research has shown he was in Scotland up to the age of 17 and attended Borstals at Manchester, Hatfield and Hull).
(Sources borrowed from the following: www.benscamera.com, www.28dayslater.co.uk, www.secretleeds.com, www.ukurbex.com and Facebook)