Princethorpe Foundation Archive
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Princethorpe Foundation Archive
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Preserving and sharing the archives and heritage of Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall School, Crescent School and their predecessor schools.

Explore our collections at https://archives.princethorpe.co.uk/
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A list of those from Princethorpe who served at the Front or in the Forces, including the fallen. Several either worked on the St Mary’s Priory estate, or were sons of those who did. Their names live on here in our Chapel at Princethorpe College.

#ArmisticeDay #WeWillRememberThem
Illuminated manuscript in a wooden frame, titled 'Princethorpe Men at the Front or in the Forces'. Two columns of names are underneath, with dates of death added against some of the names.
November 11, 2025 at 1:41 PM
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It's the school holidays here at Princethorpe, but we're keeping busy in the archives! Current projects include:
- planning next term's display
- preparing a commemorative booklet for Crackley Hall's 80th anniversary
- cleaning the strongroom Ghostbusters-style with this marvellous contraption.
Photograph of a grey backpack vacuum cleaner sitting on a carpeted floor, with metal rolling archive shelving in the background.
July 30, 2025 at 9:42 AM
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Spotted amongst the St Mary's Priory school magazines... an unknown artist (one of the schoolgirls perhaps, or maybe a child of one of the alumnae?) had a good go at copying the logo!

#ArchiveDoodles #SchoolArchive
Colour photograph showing the cover of a school magazine. The title 'PEEPS of PRINCETHORPE' and the year 1957 are printed in the top half of the cover. In the lower half is a logo showing the word 'PAX' in the centre of a crown of thorns. Above it is a hand-drawn copy of the logo in colour pencil, seemingly by a child.
July 23, 2025 at 10:48 AM
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The small lake in our College grounds was formed in the early 1830s, when clay was dug out to make the bricks used in building St Mary’s Priory.
As the area developed its own natural beauty, it reminded the nuns of an Alpine landscape – hence the name ‘Switzerland’!

#EYANature #ExploreYourArchive
A black and white postcard showing a small lake surrounded by mature trees and bushes. There is a white stone cross on a small island near the far bank of the lake. The words 'St Mary's Priory, Princethorpe' are printed in red on the lower left of the postcard, and the word 'Switzerland' is printed in red italics on the lower right.
July 11, 2025 at 9:47 AM
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We’re looking forward to taking part in Heritage Open Days again this year!

The theme for 2025 is Architecture – and what better excuse to show off our beautiful buildings ⛪

Tours are filling up fast, so don’t leave it too late if you’d like to join us: www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-e...
Photograph showing the interior of an ornately decorated nineteenth-century chapel, looking towards the altar, with wooden pews in the foregound. Black and white postcard showing an aerial view of a nineteenth-century priory including a chapel with bell tower, surrounded by fields and woodland. The words 'St Mary's Priory, Princethorpe, Nr Rugby' are printed at the lower left of the postcard.
June 30, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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A busy day out on Monday, with a visit to the stunning Oxford Oratory to see some of the items in their collections relating to St Mary’s Priory, followed by a fascinating talk at the Bodleian on the Reading the Room heritage libraries project.

Enjoyed this #archives quiz at the Bodleian too ;)
Photograph of the ornately-decorated interior of a nineteenth-century Catholic church, showing the sanctuary with the altar in the foreground, statues of the saints and stained glass windows above. Photograph of a screen showing the launch page for a quiz, with the question 'What type of archivist are you?'
June 18, 2025 at 10:25 AM
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I think this might be my favourite archive fact ever @bucksarchives.bsky.social !
bucksarchives.bsky.social Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · Jun 5
We think they'd stretch for about 5 miles, but we're not going to prove it.
June 6, 2025 at 9:38 AM
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It was great to share our history and collections with visiting families at Princethorpe College Open Evening yesterday – we had some fantastic budding Archives Detectives!

As you can see in the background, Harry Potter also kindly dropped in to give us a hand…

#SchoolArchive #SchoolLibraries
Photograph of a display board set up on a table, displaying archive photographs and captions. Copies of archive material, question sheets and pencils are also set out on the table, with signs saying 'Become an Archives Detective!' Further display boards and a Harry Potter cardboard cut-out are in the background.
June 5, 2025 at 11:59 AM
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Did you know today is #InternationalDayOfPotato?

Potatoes were a very successful crop on the farm at St Mary’s Priory. As this extract from the 1964 school magazine shows, it was all hands on deck when potato picking time came round, and the schoolgirls were pleased to earn some extra pocket money!
Extract from a 1964 school magazine, recording the schoolgirls' achievement of picking fifteen tons of potatoes on September 21st, 22nd and 24th.
May 30, 2025 at 10:20 AM
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Currently doing some work on our #DigitalPreservation here in the Foundation Archive. We’re not quite at this stage yet though...

Image: @xkcd.com
#DigiPres #SchoolArchive
May 23, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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It’s #InternationalNursesDay, and we’re saying a big thank you to our wonderful school nurses past and present for all their hard work in looking after our students.

📷 New Matron and Assistant Matron at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe Magazine 1974.

#NursesDay #SchoolArchive
A black and white photograph of two women standing side by side on a lawn with trees in the background. The woman on the left is wearing a nurse's uniform; the woman on the right is dressed in a smart skirt, cardigan and striped top.
May 12, 2025 at 10:06 AM
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The sun is out in #Warwickshire and the lambs are in the fields, so today we thought we’d bring you this lovely smiley sheep, painted by a Crackley Hall pupil in Spring 2017.

(Also is it just us, or does he bear a slight resemblance to a certain @themerl.bsky.social celebrity...?)

#SchoolArchive
A child's painting of a sheep with a big smile, standing in a field and enjoying the sun.
May 1, 2025 at 10:18 AM
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Princethorpe College sixth formers and staff boldly setting forth on a Biology field trip, 1971. The students enjoyed a week of ecological studies, and apparently all survived the teachers’ ‘gastronomic experiments’ in their self-catering accommodation!

#EYAEarth #SchoolArchive #ExploreYourArchive
Black and white photograph of sixth form students and staff standing in and around a school minibus. Some of the students are holding field studies equipment.
April 17, 2025 at 11:08 AM
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St Joseph's Convent School pupils and teacher enjoying a trip to Birmingham, c. 1955. Our records indicate that they may have been visiting the Cadbury factory at Bourneville, which would probably explain the big smiles!

#SchoolArchive
Black and white photograph of female pupils in school uniform, standing in rows and smiling at the camera, with a nun standing to the right hand side. A grassy bank with trees and a contemporary building are in the background.
April 11, 2025 at 11:38 AM
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Easter holidays have started here at Princethorpe College, so our Lent term display items have gone safely back to the strongroom. The display cases won't be empty for long, though - planning is already well underway for next term!

#SchoolArchive #ExploreYourArchive
A sign printed in black on a white piece of paper, on a green felt background. The sign reads 'New archives display coming soon!'
April 8, 2025 at 8:50 AM
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Sports Day at St Bede's College, early 1960s - some very determined little faces in the sack race!
A black and white photograph of four young boys competing in a sack race, watched by several slightly older boys sitting on chairs and on the grass.
April 2, 2025 at 12:31 PM
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From one quad to another! Had a wonderful few days at @lincoln.ox.ac.uk learning more about early printed books and how best to care for this very special part of our collections 📚

A big thank you to all involved in running the course - I'm looking forward to putting my new knowledge into practice!
A fifteenth-century stone building with climbing plants around the windows and doorways, and a lawn in the foreground.
March 31, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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A list of books purchased for St Mary's Priory school library by the Princethorpe Association alumnae group, 1938. Some exciting adventure-based titles in there!

#SchoolArchive #SchoolLibraries #LoveLibraries
March 20, 2025 at 1:08 PM
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This year’s #WomensHistoryMonth theme is ‘Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations’ - and what better example than the nuns of St Mary’s Priory here at Princethorpe!

📷 St Mary’s Priory schoolgirls with Mère Angels on her Golden Jubilee of profession, 1960.

#SchoolArchive
A black and white photograph showing a nun wearing a crown of flowers, with a group of girls in school uniform.
March 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
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Had a great time giving a talk to Princethorpe College students for #SchoolArchivesDay yesterday (and yes, that is an ‘archivist’ T-shirt I’m wearing!)

Our #SchoolArchivesDay display is also up until the end of term for students, staff and visitors to find out more about our wonderful collections.
Archivist giving a presentation to school students, with a School Archives Day PowerPoint slide displayed on a screen. An exhibition of archive material including photographs, booklets and artefacts in a display case. An exhibition of archive material including photographs, booklets and press cuttings in a display case.
March 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
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One of the wonderful postcards of St Mary's Priory from our collections, ready for tomorrow’s #SchoolArchivesDay talk – we’ll be asking Princethorpe College students if they can identify which of their classrooms this is!

#SchoolArchives #heritage
A black and white photograph of a dormitory at St Mary's Priory boarding school, showing dormitory cubicles with white curtains pulled back, and archways leading to a window and statue of the Virgin Mary at the far end of the room.
March 11, 2025 at 11:04 AM
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We're looking forward to taking part in the UK’s very first #SchoolArchivesDay next Wednesday!

We'll be holding a lunchtime talk for Princethorpe students, where we’ll explore some of the weird and wonderful events in the College's history (and possibly a ghost story or two!)

#ExploreYourArchive
Logo showing the words 'School Archives Day' in black and blue capitals on a white background.
March 7, 2025 at 11:30 AM
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Happy #WorldBookDay from the Princethorpe College librarians, 1973!

#WorldBookDay2025 #SchoolLibraries #LoveLibraries
Black and white photograph of ten school students standing in the school library.
March 6, 2025 at 3:51 PM
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We’re excited to be joining the Bluesky community! Based at beautiful Princethorpe College in #Warwickshire, we look after the #archives and #heritage of Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall, Crescent School and their predecessor schools.

Discover our collections at archives.princethorpe.co.uk
Princethorpe College Quad in the sunshine, showing nineteenth-century College buildings including the Chapel, with the Quad gardens in the foreground.
March 5, 2025 at 11:30 AM