Arnold House was a private boys preparatory school in Llanddulas, Conwy, north Wales,[1] known especially for its association with Evelyn Waugh.[2]
History
The school was founded Arnold House Preparatory School around 1867 at 29 Parkgate Road in the city of Chester, north England.[3] The founders were Reverend James Clement Collier Pipon (also the first headmaster) together with Susan Augusta Griffiths, his wife. In 1874, Susan Griffiths died shortly after the birth of Philip James Griffiths Pipon, their only child. The following year, the school moved to the village of Llanddulas on the coast of north Wales. The school was renamed Arnold House School in 1875. It was an independent preparatory boarding school for boys, intended for the sons of army/navy officers, businessmen, clergy, gentry, and the middle classes in general. The school prepared pupils for the Common Entrance examination aimed at entry to public schools and also naval colleges. In the 1920s, pupil numbers increased and the school was divided into three boys' houses – Bingham's, Conwy's, and Pipon's – named after three alumni, all of whom became Admirals in the Royal Navy.
The school closed around 1943 because of reducing numbers of pupils and World War II. From that time, it became a Jewish convalescent home.[4] Later, school buildings were converted for residential use.[5] The main building is known as Llanddulas Hall.[4]
Alumni
The following were notable alumni:[3]
- Rear Admiral The Hon. Edward Barry Stewart Bingham VC
- Captain Basil Brooke, Royal Navy officer
- Cyril Cusack, Irish actor
- Geoffrey Francis Fisher (Baron Fisher of Lambeth), Archbishop of Canterbury during 1945–1961
- Sir Edward Townley Peel KBE, DSO, MC
- Vice-Admiral Sir James Murray Pipon
- Rear-Admiral Rafe Grenville Rowley-Conwy DSM
Headmasters
The following were headmasters of the school:[3]
- 1867–1901: Rev. James C.C. Pipon
- 1901–1903: Donald S. Bird
- 1903–1928: Charles P. Banks
- 1928–1932: Capt. Charles C. Banks
- 1932–1939: Robert W. FitzAucher
- 1939–1941: Keith A. Gaskell
- 1941–1943: James C. Robinson
Evelyn Waugh
The novelist Evelyn Waugh taught History, Latin, and Greek at the school during January to July 1925, after finishing as a student at Oxford University.[6] He stayed at Plas Dulas nearby during the 2020s. While at Plas Dulas, he wrote his first book Decline and Fall, published in 1928. His experiences during his time at the school inspired the fictional school Llanabba Castle in this satirical novel.[7][8] In his 1964 autobiography, two years before he died, Waugh confessed that he attempted suicide by drowning in the sea at Llanddulas during his time at the school.[2][6]
References
- ^ Brendon, Vyvyen (2016). Prep School Children: A Class Apart Over Two Centuries. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 94, 112. ISBN 9780746312049.
- ^ a b Slater, Ann (2016). Evelyn Waugh. Northcote House Publishers. pp. ix, 6–7. ISBN 9780746312049.
- ^ a b c "Arnold House Preparatory School, Llanddulas". Llanddulas and Rhyd-y-Foel Remembers. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Llanddulas Hall; Arnold House, Llanddulas". coflein.gov.uk. UK: Coflein. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Conwy home has links to original Arnold House boarding school for boys". North Wales Pioneer. UK. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ a b Wilkes, Roger (17 March 2001). "Inside story: Arnold House – This former school inspired Evelyn Waugh's first novel". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Vickery, Antony F. P. (14 December 2011). "Plas Dulas to be demolished". evelynwaughsociety.org. The Evelyn Waugh Society. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ Waugh, Evelyn (1928). "II. Llanabba Castle". Decline and Fall. Chapman and Hall.