School House or Canal House


On the 1843 map there were no buildings at the end of Bridge Road other than two cottages on the eastern side.
By the early 1920s Northampton County Council acquired land next to the Horse Tunnel and towpath to build a house for the School Teacher.

Plans drawn up for this house in 1922 show a state of the art property. There were steps up to the towpath, with a large garden and a proper ash pit. The site had its own well, a shed and a stable for the teacher's horse. However, the small building at bottom right is marked E C - there was only an earth closet.

Downstairs there was both a living room and a sitting room,but the kitchen accommodation boasted a long larder as well as a store room and scullery, with a rain water tank. Uostairs were two small bedrooms and one large one. The house was not considered to need a bathroom, although one was added later in 1929.

In this old postcard photograph the Teacher's House, also called the
School House and later Canal House, is on the left opposite Bridge Row.
Canal House, next to the Barge Inn, had
a pleasant garden full of trees which is still the case today.

Mrs May Thacker , the head teacher at Cosgrove School, moved to Canal House in 1926
with her son Keith, who attended the school, her mother Hannah Parker and her aunt Maud Bevis.
Inside Canal House May would have prepared
her school work and kept up her correspondence.

Mrs Thacker moved to Potterspury in 1939, but continued to teach at
Cosgrove (here she is visiting Canal House) until she retired in 1946.

Today Canal House is a bright and cheerful property at 1 Main Street.

Northampton Mercury - Friday 14 July 1939

By direction of the Education Committee
of the Northamptonshire County Council.

COSGROVE

2 miles from Stony Stratford, 4 miles
from Wolverton. 8 miles from Towcester,
and 12 miles from Northampton.

A DETACHED FREEHOLD DWELLING-HOUSE

known as
THE SCHOOL HOUSE, COSGROVE.

The Property is Brick Built, partly Slated and Tiled, and contains; Three Bedrooms, two fitted grates and one having an electric heating plug and cupboard; Entrance Hall; Two Sitting Rooms (one with bay) each fitted grate; Breakfast Room, fitted grate, electric heating plug and cupboard; Pantry; Larder; Kitchen, fitted inter-oven grate, table and cupboard; Scullery, fitted sink and copper; Bathroom, fitted bath and basin.

Brick paved Yard with access through double doors to street; Closet, brick-built and slated Garage and Coal Store adjoining; Small Lean-to Greenhouse, and a Garden, well stocked with productive fruit trees.

Electric Light. Water Supply.

VACANT POSSESSION.

TO BE OFFERED FOR SALE BY AUCTION,

BY J. C. J. Legge FAI.,

AT THE BARGE INN, COSGROVE,

On WEDNESDAY, JULY 26th, 1939,

At Seven o’clock in the Evening,

Subject to Conditions of Sale to be then produced.

For full Particulars and Key, apply to the Auctioneer. House, Shop, Land, Estate and Valuation Offices, 14, Castilian-street, Northampton. Telephone 50 (two lines).

Solicitor; J. ALAN TURNER, Esq., Clerk of the Northamptonshire County Council, County Hall, Northampton. Telephone Nos. 791/2.

Wolverton Express 4th August 1939

Sale of Property

A successful sale of property was conducted at the Barge Inn, Cosgrove, on Wednesday, 26 July, by Mr. J C J Legge, FAI, auctioneer, of Northampton.  The property concerned was a detached freehold dwelling house, known as The School House, Cosgrove, [1, Main Street] and this was sold for £340.  The property was sold by direction of the Education Committee of the Northampton County Council, for whom the Clerk to the Council, Mr J. Alan Turner, acted as solicitor.

Northampton Mercury - Friday 24 August 1951

COSGROVE.

The Old School House.

Charming Detached Cottage Residence in lovely gdn; 3 rec. kchn scullery (h. and c.), 3 bdrms. bathrm (h. and c.); heated linen cupboard dual hot water system; perfect cond, gd garage STONE-BUILT and Thatched Farmhouse type House. 6 miles N’pton, on excellent bus route. Oak timbering, leaded windows, ingle nook: hall, cloakrm, 3 rec. kchn (h. and c.), 4 bdrms, bathrm (h. and c.). 2 w.c.s; main drainage, water, gas. electric light and power ail laid on; garage 15 x 20; outbuildings; and kchn gdn. £4.500.