Established to educate poor local boys in Westminster, Blewcoat School taught its pupils how to ‘read, write, cast accounts, and the catechism’. The school’s name came from its pupil’s distinctive blue uniforms, and the original school located in Duck Lane was established in 1688 from voluntary contributions. The current building located on Caxton Street was funded by William Green, a prominent local brewer who leased the site from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for two shillings and sixpence a year. The simple red-brick building was completed in 1709 and remained a school property until 1928. During World War II, the school was used by the Forces as a store and later by the Girl Guides as a youth club. The Blewcoat School was acquired by the National Trust in 1954.
- Blewcoat School
- www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- 23 Caxton Street, Westminster SW1H 0PY
- Underground: St. James’s