Sayers Croft facts for kids
Sayers Croft is a special outdoor learning center located in the village of Ewhurst, Surrey. It's one of the few original "Camp schools" that were built a long time ago in 1939. These camps were created to give children from busy cities a chance to enjoy fresh air and fun activities. They also offered a safe place for people if a war broke out.
The first children to stay at Sayers Croft arrived in May 1940. They were from schools in East London, and they lived at the center throughout World War II. After the war, Sayers Croft helped children from the Netherlands recover after their country was occupied.
Over time, Sayers Croft started hosting groups of London children for residential visits. The organization that first ran these camps eventually transferred them to local authorities. Sayers Croft then became part of the Greater London Council and was managed by the Inner London Education Authority until 1990. Today, Westminster City Council runs the center.
In 1996, The Sayers Croft Trust was started. This is a charity that helps local people, especially young people, enjoy and care for the environment. The Trust works with the Sayers Croft center to make sure its facilities are available to everyone, including those who might not normally be able to visit due to physical, money, or social reasons. Part of the land at Sayers Croft is also a Local Nature Reserve.
More than half a million people have visited Sayers Croft over the years. About 12,000 visitors come each year, including local schools and groups of young people who might face challenges. Sayers Croft offers many chances for hands-on outdoor learning in a safe environment.
History of Sayers Croft
Early Days
Sayers Croft is built on a type of ground called Wealden clay. This area is not very good for farming, so it has always had a lot of trees and woods. The ancient Romans even built a famous road called Stane Street nearby. This road connected Chichester on the South coast to London. A smaller Roman path also crossed the land where Sayers Croft is now.
The first time Sayers Croft is mentioned in history is in a legal paper from August 20, 1552. This paper talks about the sale of 3 acres of land to John Dandy, a cowman at Sayers Croft. The document also mentions "Parsons Wood" and the "poor field." The word "croft" means a small building or a small piece of land. The name "Sayers" probably comes from "Sawyer," which was a person who cut wood.
The Camps Act of 1939
In 1937, a town in Spain called Guernica was bombed by German planes. This made politicians in Britain realize how much damage could happen to their own cities if another war started in Europe. As tensions grew, a new law was introduced in March 1939. This law was called the "Camps Act."
The Camps Act aimed to build and manage permanent camps across the country. These camps were meant to be used by schools during peacetime. But if war broke out, they would become safe places for people leaving cities. The law allowed the government to buy land and build these camps quickly.
The camps were built and run by a group called the National Camps Corporation. They were designed to be in quiet, pretty, wooded areas. This made them less noticeable from the air. They were also kept away from military bases or main railway lines. It was important for them to be easy to reach and close to a town for supplies.
Work on the first camp began in June 1939. All the camps, including Sayers Croft, were built using Canadian Cedarwood. They followed the same plans designed by architects like Thomas S Tait. Each camp was made to hold 348 children in six dormitories. They also had a large hall, a big dining room with kitchens, four classrooms, a small hospital, and living areas for staff.
Building Sayers Croft cost about £25,968 in total. This included the cost of construction, services, buying the land, and equipment.
