Giggleswick School

Giggleswick School is an independent co-educational boarding school in Giggleswick, near Settle, North Yorkshire, England.

Early school

The current Giggleswick school was founded on half an acre of land leased by the Prior and Convent of Durham, to James Carr the Chantry Priest at the local Parish Church of St Alkelda, for the express purpose of enclosing it and building, at his own expense, one 'Gramar Scole'. By 1512 the school consisted of two small, irregular buildings, next to the local parish church.

The school was run traditionally by the Chantry Priests until Edward VI dissolved the position. The school was saved, however, by the petition of the Kings Chaplain, John Nowell, and in 1553 it received its royal charter. This granted land to the school, and endowed it with the title: The Free Grammar School of King Edward the VI of Giggleswick. Some locals of a certain age still refer to Giggleswick as 'The Grammar School'.

There is some evidence that there was a school on the same site from an earlier date.

Giggleswick was one of only 27 schools listed in the Public Schools Yearbook of 1889, and certainly has claims to be one of the oldest public schools, although claims vary depending on the precise criteria used.

Victorian period

The school continued in its original location until 1867, when it moved slightly further out of the village, and up the hill to its present location. At this point, a major expansion of the school and its facilities began.

New boarding...
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