On Tuesday, 8 May 1945, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that the war in Europe had come to an end, following Germany’s surrender the day before. Victory in Europe Day – or VE Day – was celebrated across the UK with street parties, bonfires, and church services. Find out how VE Day was celebrated in … Read more
In March 1999, Sherborne School raised over £1,200 for Comic Relief. The day of fundraising included a staff Chariots of Fire race around the Courts (won by Richard Bool), and a boys’ sedan chair race on the Upper (won by Lyon House). Happy days! Posted 21 March 2025 by Sherborne School Archives Visit Sherborne School … Read more
We are delighted to announce that in 2024 the Old Shirburnian Society website, which includes the webpages of the School Archives, received an amazing 44,138 visitors and a staggering 80,005 views! The highest number of visits to the website were from the UK (53,617), followed by the USA (8,399), Australia (2,220), France (1,611), Canada (1,313), … Read more
To get you in the mood for Christmas, we hope you might enjoy these festive offering from the School Archives: Find out about the history of Sherborne School’s Festival of Lessons and Carols. First held in the School chapel on 7 December 1919, the service was adapted by the School’s Director of Music Archibald Tester … Read more
Five Shirburnians have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for gallantry in action. Their names are commemorated on the plaque at the entrance to the School chapel. During the Second World War one Victoria Cross was awarded to a Shirburnian, Abbey House’s Lieutenant Jack Grayburn, who was killed in action at … Read more
Happy 60th birthday to The Digby, which opened its doors as a school boarding house on 18 September 1964 with 62 boys (including 1 day boy) under housemaster Peter Currie and house tutor Robert Glen. Find out about the history of The Digby, including why there are stone ostriches on the roof, why the house … Read more
Sherborne School has a proud Olympic heritage dating back to the Games of the IV Olympiad in 1908. To date, seven Olympic medals have been won by Shirburnians and members of staff – one gold medal, one silver medal, and five bronze medals. Top of the medal table is School House with one gold and … Read more
In 1814, surgeon Nathaniel Highmore MRCS (1789-1866), a former pupil of Sherborne School, conducted an autopsy on a 15-year-old boy he had been treating in Sherborne. What he discovered inside the boy’s abdomen shocked the medical world and made Highmore famous. Nathaniel Highmore was born on 18 October 1789 in Over Compton, the son of … Read more
On 5 June 1944, 12-year-old Peter Powis was amongst a group of boys playing cricket at Sherborne Prep School when suddenly the sky above them was full of ‘hundreds and hundreds of aircraft, mostly Whitley and Halifax bombers towing strings of gliders, crossing the sky, from horizon to horizon, flying sort-of south east.’ This was … Read more
The Christian festival of The Feast of the Ascension is held the 40th day of Easter and commemorates the ascension of Jesus into heaven 39 days after resurrection on Easter Sunday. English customs associated with Ascension Day included the beating of the parish bounds, well dressing, and the planting of the ‘Penny Hedge’ in the … Read more