British Studies 2014

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Stowe School Visit - Wednesday - July 2nd

Posted by Kim Kelly



Stowe School is a boarding school located in Buckingham, England.  To get to the school our class again traveled via a charter bus.  Along the way we stopped at a rest stop (in England they call them a “Welcome Break” area).  It was actually quite nice and not at all like Michigan rest areas!  Here we grabbed something to eat and I was able to access their free WIFI on my phone.  Finding locations with free WIFI was advantageous to me as I used them to send updates about my travels to friends back in Michigan.  After our short break we continued on our journey.  When our charter bus arrived at Stowe I could sense that all of us were in awe of its magnificence.  I think it is safe to say that none of us had attended a boarding school and the thought of living and learning in such a splendid place made us envious of Stowe students.
After disembarking our bus we were led to the Stowe School Library. Here we met Librarian Carol Miller and House Custodian and Research manager, Anna McEvoy.  They had generously arranged for tea and biscuits to be set out for us and invited us to enjoy them in the beautiful library.  We sat at grand tables sipping our tea while we listened to Carol with eager ears.  She told us of her daily work at Stowe and how rewarding she finds it.  It was obvious she loves Stowe and her students.  My initial goal in the field of library science was to become a school media specialist.  Her talk made me long for the opportunity to help nurture the minds of the future as Carol does.  I admire her work greatly.  Her students are truly lucky to have her.  Her welcoming nature put all of the British Studies students at ease and made us comfortable to ask questions.  After her talk she led us on a tour of the house and welcomed us to amble around the lovely gardens.     
Stowe House was built in 1676 and belonged to a wealthy family.  It was their country estate.  Over time the family lost their money and the house was put on the market.  It was for sale for over 20 years.  Eventually it became the location of Stowe school in 1923.  The school opened with just 99 boys.   


The monuments around the land were interesting as well.  It was great fun wandering around the property pretending that we were wealthy land owners out for a stroll in our lovely garden.  I relished in the thought of what it had been like for the family and visitors to this place.  During our walk we came across this little tree Queen Victoria herself had helped plant during her visit there.  How in awe of the history of this country I am.  It is overwhelming to imagine sometimes.
Temple of Ancient Virtue in Stowe Garden

 I later learned that Stowe School was used for filming parts to the movie Stardust, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough.  Also, famous actor Henry Cavill (currently staring as Superman in Warner Brother Pictures Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) attended boarding school here. 


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