Canford School is a public school (English

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18). Situated in 300 acres of parkland near to the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

Wimborne Minster Wimborne Minster (often referred to as Wimborne, ) is a market town in Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. It lies at the confluence of the River Stour and the River Allen, north of Poo ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

, south west England, it is one of the largest schools by area. The school is a member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the head teachers of 361 independent schools (both boarding schools and day schools), some traditionally described as public schools. 298 Members are based in the Unite ...

. Called a public school, Canford's fees are currently £12,686 per term for boarders. The school is rated outstanding by Ofsted and is consistently ranked among the best co-educational independent schools nationally. In 2014, and again in 2016, Canford was among four runners-up for "Public School of the Year" in the ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'' School Awards and received the top award in 2019. The school has an enrolment of 660 students, the highest in its history, aged between 13 and 18 spread across seven boarding and three day houses. Canford School counts among its alumni high-ranking military officers, pioneers in industry, computing, and economics, as well as senior figures in the Arts and Sciences.

History

Canford Manor was particularly associated with

John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...

- the third of five surviving sons of Edward III of England. The Duke exercised great influence over the English throne during the minority of Richard II's reign, and the ensuing periods of political strife. Records suggest the Canford Manor was used as a principal residence of John of Gaunt for some time. Of that early period, only the Norman church and 14th century refectory known as John O' Gaunt's Kitchen remains. The main building, constituting the nucleus of the school, was designed by Edward Blore and later by Sir Charles Barry in the early and mid 1800s. The school itself was founded in 1923, having been "provided with a nucleus of boys and staff from a small private school in

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmix ...

Assyrian frieze

In 1992, a lost Assyrian stone relief was rediscovered on the wall of "the Grubber". Although it is at first sight rather unlikely that such a valuable item should be found on the wall of a school tuck shop, the history of the school explains how the relief came to be there. It had been brought back from the site of

Nimrud Nimrud (; syr, ܢܢܡܪܕ ar, النمرود) is an ancient Assyrian city located in Iraq, south of the city of Mosul, and south of the village of Selamiyah ( ar, السلامية), in the Nineveh Plains in Upper Mesopotamia. It was a m ...

in northern

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

(

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

) by Sir Austen Henry Layard along with other antiquities which were displayed at Canford before it was a school. Originally Canford had been a private country house (known as Canford Manor), designed by Edward Blore and improved by Sir

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also respons ...

, and the residence of Layard's cousin and mother-in-law,

Lady Charlotte Guest Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest (née Bertie; 19 May 1812 – 15 January 1895), later Lady Charlotte Schreiber, was an English aristocrat who is best known as the first publisher in modern print format of the '' Mabinogion'', the earliest prose l ...

and her husband, Sir John Josiah Guest. At that time, the building now known as the Grubber had been used to display antiquities and was known as "the Nineveh Porch". It was however believed by the school authorities to be a plaster copy of an original which had been lost overboard during river transit and little attention was paid to it after the school was established. A dartboard was even hung in the Grubber close to where the frieze was displayed. It was John Russell of Columbia University who identified the frieze as an original, one of a set of three relief slabs taken from the throne room of Assyrian King

Assurnasirpal II Ashur-nasir-pal II (transliteration: ''Aššur-nāṣir-apli'', meaning " Ashur is guardian of the heir") was king of Assyria from 883 to 859 BC. Ashurnasirpal II succeeded his father, Tukulti-Ninurta II, in 883 BC. During his reign he embarked ...

(883–859 BC). A new plaster copy now stands in the foyer of the Layard Theatre at Canford and a number of "Assyrian Scholarships" are available, funded from the sale proceeds which also helped pay for the construction of a new sports facility. The original relief is now part of the collection of the

Miho Museum The Miho Museum is located southeast of Kyoto, Japan, in the Shigaraki neighborhood of the city of Kōka, in Shiga Prefecture. It is also the headquarters of the Shinji Shumeikai, a new religious group founded by Mihoko Koyama. History The m ...

in Japan.

The Layard Theatre

The Layard Theatre is situated inside Canford School and is open to the public.

The Bourne Academy

Since September 2010 Canford School is the sponsor of The Bourne Academy, a state-funded school in Bournemouth.

Sport

Real Tennis

The school is one of four in the United Kingdom with a real tennis court (the others being The Oratory,

Radley Radley is a village and civil parish about northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfor ...

and

Wellington College Wellington College may refer to: *Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England ** Wellington College International Shanghai ** Wellington College International Tianjin * Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...

). It is unique among these schools in that its court dates back to 1879 when it was a country house, whereas the others have all been newly built for the schools since 1990.

Rowing

The school has an active

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

club called the Canford School Boat Club which is based on the River Stour. The club is affiliated to

British Rowing British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA), is the national governing body for the sport of rowing (both indoor and on-water rowing). It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews representi ...

(boat code CAN) and has produced three British champion crews at the 2002 British Rowing Championships, 2008 British Rowing Championships and

2010 British Rowing Championships The 2010 British Rowing Championships were the 39th edition of the National Championships, held from 16–18 July 2010 at the Strathclyde Country Park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. They were organised and sanctioned by British Rowing ...

Old Canfordians

Former pupils of Canford School are known as Old Canfordians. Notable alumni include: *

The Very Reverend The Very Reverend is a style given to members of the clergy. The definite article "The" should always precede "Reverend" as "Reverend" is a style or fashion and not a title. Catholic In the Catholic Church, the style is given, by custom, to pri ...

Henry Lloyd (1911–2001), Anglican priest, Dean of Truro"Notable O.C.'s" The Old Canfordian Magazine. The Old Canfordian Society, Dorset. 2018. *

Stephen Ward Stephen Thomas Ward (19 October 1912 – 3 August 1963) was an English osteopath and artist who was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British political scandal which brought about the resignation of John Profumo, the Sec ...

(1912–1963), osteopath involved in the

Profumo affair The Profumo affair was a major scandal in twentieth-century British politics. John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan's Conservative government, had an extramarital affair with 19-year-old model Christine Keeler be ...

* Hector Maclean (1913–2007), decorated RAF officer during

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

* Sir George Clark, 3rd Baronet DL (1914–1991), Unionist politician in Northern Ireland * Sir Ralph Verney, 5th Baronet KBE, DL (1915-2001) British Army Officer and Politician * Sir Ashley Bramall (1916–1999), leader of the

Inner London Education Authority The Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) was an ad hoc local education authority for the City of London and the 12 Inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990. The authority was reconstituted as a directly elected body corp ...

, 1970–1981 * Charles Maclean of Duart, Baron Maclean (1916–1990),

Chief Scout A Chief Scout is the principal or head scout for an organization such as the military, colonial administration or expedition or a talent scout in performing, entertainment or creative arts, particularly sport. In sport, a Chief Scout can be the prin ...

of the United Kingdom, 1959–1971, Chief Scout of the Commonwealth, 1959–1975, and

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...

, 1971–1984 * Lieutenant Colonel Hilary Hook (1917–1990), Soldier and 'Home from the Hill' star * Ted Cooke-Yarborough (1918–2013) physicist and WW2 radar and computer pioneer *

Paul Feiler Paul Feiler (30 April 1918 – 8 July 2013) was a German-born artist who was a prominent member of the St Ives School of art: he has pictures hanging in major art galleries across the world. Early life Paul Feiler was born in 1918 in Frankf ...

(1918-2013), abstract artist * Mike Randall (1919–1999), editor of the ''Daily Mail'' and ''Sunday Times'' * David Sheldrick (1919–1977), Anglo-Kenyan conservationist *

John Barnes John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. He currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to ce ...

(1920-2008), Historian * Peter Hare (1920–2001), cricketer * Rear Admiral John Templeton-Cotill (1920-2011), Naval Officer * Hector Monro, Baron Monro of Langholm (1922–2006), Conservative politician *

Michael Medwin Michael Hugh Medwin, OBE (18 July 1923 – 26 February 2020) was an English actor and film producer. Life and career Medwin was born in London. He was educated at Canford School, Dorset, and the Institute Fischer, Montreux, Switzerland. He ...

(1923-2020), actor * Alexander Paton (1924-2015), Physician and Author of ABC of Alcohol *

Stuart Symington William Stuart Symington III (; June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was an American businessman and Democratic politician from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a United States Senator from ...

(1926–2009), cricketer * John Douglas, 21st Earl of Morton (1927–2016), Deputy Lieutenant of West Lothian * Michael Ash (1927), Mathematician, brewer, and inventor of the Easy Serve Draught Guinness * Iain Campbell (1928-2015), Cricketer *

Rutherford Aris Rutherford "Gus" Aris (September 15, 1929 – November 2, 2005) was a chemical engineer, control theorist, applied mathematician, and a Regents Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota (1958–2005). Early ...

(1929–2005), chemical engineer, Regents Professor Emeritus * David Littman (born 1933), historian and human rights advocate * Sir John Drummond (1934–2006), arts administrator, former controller of BBC Radio 3 * General Sir Brian Kenny (1934-2017) * Second Lieutenant Paul Benner GC (1935–1957), awarded the George Cross *

Stan Brock Stanley James Brock (born June 8, 1958) is a former American football player and coach. He played as a Tackle (American football), tackle at the University of Colorado at Boulder and in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints an ...

(1936), television presenter, philanthropist * Anthony Bryer OBE (1937-2016), Historian * Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Palin (born 1938) *

Simon Preston Simon John Preston (4 August 1938 – 13 May 2022) was an English organist, conductor, and composer.
...

CBE (born 1938), organist, conductor, composer * Stephen Rubin OBE (born 1938), founder of Pentland Industries (Hunter, Speedo, Berghaus, Ellesse, etc.) *

Derek Jarman Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman (31 January 1942 – 19 February 1994) was an English artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, gardener and gay rights activist. Biography Jarman was born at the Royal Victoria Nursing Home ...

(1942–1994), film director and gay rights activist *

Ian Bradshaw Ian David Russell Bradshaw (born 9 July 1974) is a former Barbadian cricketer who played for the West Indies cricket team as a left-arm fast bowler in all three formats of the game. In September 2004, Bradshaw was a member of the West Indies t ...

(born 1940s), Photographer and winner of the World Press Photo Award * Sir Henry Cecil (1943–2013), champion race horse trainer * Admiral Sir Ian Garnett (born 1944), naval officer * Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy De Halpert KCVO, CB (born 1945), Naval Secretary * Tim Stevenson (born 1948), Lord Lieutenant * Simon Crowcroft (born 1950), Connétable of St Helier * David Docwra (born 1953), cricketer and educator *

Alan Hollinghurst Alan James Hollinghurst (born 26 May 1954) is an English novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. He won the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award, the 1994 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the 2004 Booker Prize. Early life and education H ...

(born 1954), Booker Prize winning author *

Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...

(born 1954), Author, Journalist, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature * Christopher Edward Berkeley Portman, 10th Viscount Portman (born 1958), British peer and property developer * Owen Bennett-Jones, journalist, 'Newshour' * Sir Philip Moor (born 1959), judge of the High Court of England and Wales * Nigel Robertson (born 1962), entrepreneur, founder of FreePages plc * Simon Hilton (born 1967), music video director * Nick Robertson OBE (born 1967), Co-founder and former CEO of ASOS *

Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...

, (born 1968), novelist and popular historian * Major General Nicholas Borton DSO MBE (born 1969), General Officer Commanding 3rd Division * Stephen Phillips QC, MP (born 1970), Conservative politician * Giles Duley (born 1971), photojournalist * James Le Mesurier (1971-2019), Founder of White Helmets *

Miranda Cooper Miranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper (born 1975) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and television presenter. Miranda Cooper has worked in the music industry since 1996 when she gained her first recording contract. She wor ...

(born 1975), formerly the singer 'Moonbaby', songwriter and director of the company Xenomania *

William Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey George Francis William Child Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey (born 5 February 1976), known professionally as William Villiers, is a British nobleman and peer of the Villiers family. He is a former film producer, actor and writer.Mosley, Charles; ed ...

(born 1976) * Yvonne Lui (born 1977), property magnate, philanthropist * Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury (born 1979) *

Ben Gollings Ben Gollings (born 13 May 1980) is an English former rugby union player who currently works as a rugby coach for Fiji sevens team. Gollings is best known for his time with the England national rugby sevens team. He is the career leader in poi ...

(born 1980), England rugby sevens player *

Alex Hibbert Alexander Piers William Hibbert (born 19 April 1986) is a British polar expedition leader, public speaker, author and photographer. He lives in London. Family and education Hibbert was born in Southsea, England, the second son of Commodore Ric ...

(born 1986), polar explorer *

Ore Oduba Ore Oduba (born 17 November 1986) is a British television and radio presenter who has also worked as an actor. He is best known for winning the fourteenth series of BBC One's ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2016. He presented the CBBC news program ...

(born 1986), Presenter and sports journalist, 2016 Winner of Strictly Come Dancing * Brice Stratford (born 1987) Shakespearean Actor-manager * Chloe-Jasmine Whichello (born 1991) Reality TV star *

Brianna Stubbs Brianna Stubbs (born 13 July 1991) is an elite British rower and research scientist who won two gold medals for Great Britain at the World Rowing U23 Championships, 2013 U23 and 2016 World Rowing Championships. She was the youngest person to row ...

(born 1991), GB rower

References

Sources

External links

Canford School website
at the Good Schools Guide
The Allied Schools
{{Authority control Boarding schools in Dorset 1923 establishments in England Real tennis venues Schools in Poole Independent schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole People educated at Canford School Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Wimborne Minster Educational institutions established in 1923 Grade I listed buildings in Dorset Edward Blore buildings Schools cricket Racquets venues Grade I listed educational buildings Exempt charities Schools with a royal charter Church of England independent schools in the Diocese of Oxford