North of Burnley Road opposite Centre Vale, seen here looking over to Buckley Wood. The large building left of centre was Todmorden Grammar School and is now Ferny Lee Primary School.
Todmorden National School, built on part of the church burial ground, had 153 scholars at the official opening ceremony in 1845. By 1851 this had increased to 294, although this figure included the Sunday School. There were 90 pupils in the day…
National Schools were founded in 19th century by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education, to provide elementary education for poor children based on the teaching of the Church of England.
A rambling viaduct of 17 stone spans of 35ft and 1 of 60ft plus the iron span bridge over the Rochdale Canal, much plainer than its more famous neighbour to the east of the viaduct.
The playground of Riverside School is at the bottom of the picture, with the Memorial Gardens to the right of it. Heptonstall Road is to the left with Queen's Terrace. Ref 419157
The school was originally founded in 1857 as an orphanage. It became a school in 1887. In 1919 it admitted day pupils for the first time. The current school is known as Crossley Heath, this is because it merged with the former Heath Grammar school…
When it opened in 1950 it was the first Comprehensive School in the West Riding, not to be confused with West Yorkshire which didn't come into existence until 1974.