In any list of the alumni whose names are widely associated with Sherborne School, the name of Michael D’Oyly Carte is unlikely to appear. However, had his life not have been taken tragically from him at the young age of 21, he would have surely gone on to earn fame as the head of the … Read more
On the evening of 26 April 2026, a devastating fire gutted the former Newell House School in Sherborne. Opened as a private prep school in 1947, the school closed its doors 53 years later on 23 August 2000. Find out the history of Newell House Visit Sherborne School Archive News for more stories from the archives. Posted … Read more
I wonder whether the Artemis II crew spotted the Ellison crater on the far side of the moon? The Ellison crater, a lunar impact crater on the far side of the moon measuring 36.99 km in diameter, was named in 1970 in honour of Mervyn Ellison, a former science master at Sherborne School Mervyn Archdall … Read more
On 10 March 1956, Lieutenant-Commander Peter Twiss (1921-2011), a former pupil of Sherborne Prep and Sherborne Boys (Abbey House 1935-38), became the first person to fly faster than 1,000 mph, when working as a test-pilot for Fairey Aviation he broke the world air speed record flying a Fairey FD.2 in level flight along the Solent … Read more
We are very proud to see three former pupils of Sherborne Boys, Sherborne Girls & Sherborne Prep featured in Professor Sumita Mukherjee’s new book, Imperial Footprints, in which she charts the history of emigration from British India through the eyes of pupils sent to English boarding schools. The pupils featured are Prince Wasif Ali Mirza … Read more
This month we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the release of a classic of the British documentary film movement – Night Mail. Famous for W.H. Auden’s rhythmic verse commentary – This is the night mail crossing the Border, Bringing the cheque and the postal order, Letters for the rich, letters for the poor, The shop … Read more
The 15th century Sherborne Almshouse triptych, which yesterday (3 December 2025) sold for a staggering £5.7m, not only survived the purges of the Protestant Reformation but also the bombing of Sherborne on 30 September 1940. During the Second World War, Dr Francis C. Eeles, the secretary of the Central Council for the Care of Churches, … Read more
Were you at Sherborne in the 1980s? If so, you might like to revisit those years at Sherborne School in the 1980s Visit Sherborne School Archive News for more stories from the archives. Posted 17 November 2025 by Sherborne School Archives.
In the early 1950s Alan Turing’s achievements were still secret and he was definitely persona non grata at Sherborne School. Nevertheless, L.S. May (Housemaster of The Green and inspirational chemistry teacher) invited him to speak to the Alchemists Society in March 1953. The minutes of the meeting in the Lent 1953 edition of the Shirburnian … Read more
A Sherborne School boy’s account (pre-health and safety!) of 5th November celebrations in 1858: ‘I suppose I shall never forget the first half year that I spent within the walls of the King’s School, Sherborne, and all the various incidents that occurred during that time to make me as jolly as could be expected for … Read more