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Holy Cross Preparatory School

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Gazing at Holy Cross Preparatory School, can you imagine this place in the 13th century? Back then, this land belonged to the Crown. King John gifted the estate in 1215 to Hugh de Nevill. Fast forward to 1874. Holy Cross Preparatory School stands on the site of a Victorian mansion known as Coombe Leigh, later called Coombe Ridge House. It was built and owned by author John Galsworthy. He and his family resided here until 1884. Holy Cross Preparatory School itself was founded much later, in 1931, by the Sisters of the Holy Cross Menzingen. These sisters, a dedicated international teaching order, have been educating young minds since 1844. The school has a strong Catholic ethos within an ecumenical framework. Holy Cross Prep wasn’t always located here. It began as the junior department of Holy Cross School in New Malden. The school relocated to its current premises in 1971. It then became the independent preparatory school we see today. Today, Holy Cross Preparatory School educates girls aged 3 to 11. The school boasts an impressive history. In 2013, The Sunday Times even named it “Independent Preparatory School of the Year”. Beyond the main building, the school grounds hold another secret. Hidden within the grounds lies “The Ivy Conduit,” an ancient monument. This structure was once part of a grand water system built for Cardinal Wolsey’s Hampton Court Palace in 1516. Sadly, a German V1 bomb damaged the Conduit House in June 1944. Thankfully, with a grant from English Heritage, the school successfully restored this historic piece of architecture.

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