The Somerset Bridge School was a pleasing example of Edwardian Modernist design.
The 1902 Education Act abolished the old school boards and established education committees. Bridgwater had a representative on the Somerset County Education Committee in the form of the formidable Kate Spiller (1847-1915) and in 1907, Kate proposed a new infant’s school should be built at Somerset Bridge for 150 pupils. The committee, again following Kate’s suggestions, eventually decided on a more ambitious mixed school for up to 200 children. They recommended the purchase of a field of about one and three quarters of an acre for £400, for the site of the new school. The new school was designed by Samson and Cottam of Bridgwater, and built by Fursland’s, who charged £2550 (Wells Journal, 4 February 1909). They were rightly proud of their work, and they placed this advert in the 1910 guide to Bridgwater:
The school opened in August 1909. The Western Daily Press (30 August 1909) reported:
NEW COUNCIL SCHOOLS NEAR BRIDGWATER.
ADDRESS BY MR H. HOBHOUSE.On Saturday afternoon the opening ceremony took place of the new elementary school buildings at Somerset Bridge, near Bridgwater, erected by the Somerset County Council at a cost of several thousand pounds, to serve the parishes of North Petherton and Bridgwater Without. The school is capable of accommodating 200 children, and was designed by Messrs Sampson and Cottam, architects, of Bridgwater and Taunton. The general contractor for the work was Mr J. E. Fursland, builder, of Bridgwater. The opening ceremony was performed by Miss K. Spiller, of Bridgwater (a member of the County Education Committee), in the presence of a large gathering.
Mr H. HOBHOUSE (Chairman of the County Education Committee) presided, and remarked that that body had a difficult task to perform in carrying on education in the county, and, he thought, rather an unpopular task. People complained of the rates increasing, but the great reason why the education rates had increased of late was that the committee had had to raise teachers’ salaries to the level of those in other parts of the country, and had had to comply with the rather expensive requirements of the Board of Education. It had, however, been the object of the committee to keep down unnecessary expense. Some people said there was too much education already. He would agree with them if the education given was such as to unfit children for future conditions of life. He did not believe in these days that any class in the community could have too much education, provided it was suitable education, and provided it satisfied the three great objects that the committee endeavoured to aim at, viz., to develop the faculties of the children, to improve the characters of the children, and to prepare them for their future work in life. The committee was working in various directions to improve education, and he hoped the improvement would induce parents to leave their children, especially the clever ones, somewhat longer at school than they did at the present time.
Miss K. SPILLER, in declaring the school open, gave a short address, remarking that for 15 years she had striven to get a school at Somerset Bridge, and it was one of the most satisfactory days of her life to see that what she had striven for had been brought to consummation.
The school relocated in 2010, leaving the buildings empty. Plans were put forward to demolish them in 2018. Before anything was done, however, the empty buildings were set on fire at least twice. The first fire occurred on 7 August 2019. The second and more substantial fire took place on 2 September 2019, and the ruins were demolished quickly afterwards.
MKP
A full biography of Kate Spiller by Clare Spicer and Jill Trethewey can be read on the website of the Friends of the Wembdon Road Cemetery.