Which king founded eton college

Only the Quire of the intended building was completed. The important wall paintings in the chapel and the brick north range of the present School Yard also date from the s; the lower storeys of the cloister, including College Hall, were built between and As the school suffered reduced income while still under construction, the completion and further development of the school has since depended to some extent on wealthy benefactors.

Building resumed when Roger Lupton was Provost, around His name is borne by the big gatehouse in the west range of the cloisters, fronting School Yard, perhaps the most famous image of the school. This range includes the important interiors of the Parlour, Election Hall, and Election Chamber, where most of the 18th century "leaving portraits" are kept. The last important addition to the central college buildings was the College Library, in the south range of the cloister, —29, by Thomas Rowland.

It has a very important collection of books and manuscripts. In the 19th century, the architect John Shaw Jr — became surveyor to Eton. He designed New Buildings —46 , Provost Francis Hodgson's addition to providing better accommodation for collegers, who until then had mostly lived in Long Chamber, a long first-floor room where conditions were inhumane. Following complaints about the finances, buildings and management of Eton, the Clarendon Commission was set up in as a royal commission to investigate the state of nine schools in England, including Eton.

Questioned by the commission in , headmaster Edward Balston came under attack for his view that in the classroom little time could be spared for subjects other than classical studies.

The Duke of Wellington is often incorrectly quoted as saying that "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields of Eton. According to Nevill citing the historian Sir Edward Creasy , what Wellington said, while passing an Eton cricket match many decades later, was, "There grows the stuff that won Waterloo", a remark Nevill construes as a reference to "the manly character induced by games and sport" among English youth generally, not a comment about Eton specifically. As with other public schools, a scheme was devised towards the end of the 19th century to familiarise privileged schoolboys with social conditions in deprived areas.

The project of establishing an "Eton Mission" in the crowded district of Hackney Wick in east London was started at the beginning of , and it lasted until when it was decided that a more local project at Dorney would be more realistic.

However over the years much money was raised for the Eton Mission, a fine church by G. Bodley was erected; many Etonians visited and stimulated among other things the Eton Manor Boys' Club, a notable rowing club which has survived the Mission itself, and the 59 Club for motorcyclists.

Hall were erected in —08 across the road from Upper School as the school's memorial to the Etonians who had died in the Boer War. By accepting cookies you can optimise your browsing experience. Home About Us Our History. Alongside them, other boys could also benefit from the free education, but they would have to pay for their accommodation. These boys became known as Oppidans from the Latin, oppidum , meaning town. The College would be run by a Provost and ten Fellows, with a school Master to oversee the education, and a choir for the chapel.

To fund this, Henry VI gave a large amount of land, rights and other benefits, including the right to swans on the Thames. Originally, the boys were taught Latin and Latin alone, although Greek was added to the curriculum in the early 17 th century. They were taught in Lower School and were as young as five years old.

The school day began at 5am with prayers, before lessons began at 6am. Lessons finally finished at 8pm, and there was a single hour of play allowed each day. There were two holidays in the year, at Christmas and in the summer, although the boys did not go home at Christmas.

The king appointed a board of 'feoffees' to administer the school, drawn from members of the royal household, the church, and nobility. The king intended the school buildings to unrivalled in Europe; the chapel was designed to extend for 18 bays, with the longest nave in Britain or on the Continent. He also obtained religious relics, including a piece of the True Cross.

Unfortunately, when Edward IV came to the throne in he took away many of Eton's grants and transferred the school's treasures to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Construction on the school chapel stopped at just 8 bays, which is still quite impressive, though not nearly what Henry VI had in mind! William Waynflete, who also founded Magdalen College in Oxford, added an ante-chapel to complete the building, which must stand as one of the best examples of Perpendicular style in England.

Waynflete was responsible for the wall paintings in the chapel, and for building the north range that encloses School Yard, the heart of the College. The last major addition to the College buildings was the library, added in by Thomas Rowland. The most famous quote about Eton was attributed to the Duke of Wellington, who is supposed to have remarked that 'The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton'.

Unfortunately, the Iron Duke never uttered the words attributed to him, and even the meaning has been warped over time. Wellington apparently saw a group of Eton schoolboys playing cricket and said 'There grows the stuff that won Waterloo", meaning the character gained by English youth from playing sports and games. The College offers a seasonal programme of guided tours, usually from May to September. See the official College website for dates and times.

If you'd just like to stroll past the College, you can get quite a good look at the major buildings and peek inside the courtyards even when the College is not open to visitors. I highly recommend a stroll over the Thames to Eton if you are visiting Windsor Castle. It takes no more than 20 minutes from Windsor Castle to the College, and on the way, you pass some fascinating historic sites in Eton village.

Most photos are available for licensing, please contact Britain Express image library. We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned. Heritage Rated from 1- 5 low-exceptional on historic interest.