Queen Anne’s Summerhouseschools project 2009

Participating schools:Cauldwell Lower SchoolShackleton Lower SchoolCotton End SchoolNorthill Lower SchoolSouthill Lower School

Trees by Shackleton Lower School

1690Samuel Ongley buys the estate at Old Warden. He was a wealthy London linen draper involved in both the East India Company and the ill-fated South Sea Company. He improves the estate by planting trees.

1712Samuel Ongley is knighted by Queen Anne. He builds Queen Anne’s Summerhouse, which stands at the hub of avenues through the woods he planted on the former rabbit warren that gave the estate its original name.

Collage work by Northill Lower School KS2A section from an 1736 map, shows the summerhouse in its position on Warden Warren

The ground is dry and dusty like a sandy desert.An enchanted forestThe trees have come to life.

Queen Anne’s Summerhouse isLike a tiny castleA bouncy castle.A secret place with many passages.The turrets look like a fort.

Queen Anne’ Summerhouse isA fairytale castleLike a large doll’s house.A cosy sitting room.

Text by Cauldwell Lower School

Queen Anne’s Summerhouse is Like a kid’s sand bucketA beach hotelA good place to sunbathe.

Like a 3D squareA rubix cubeAn upside down tableLike four Smartie tubes.

It has windows as shiny as goldAs posh as the Queen’s crown.A giant’s tower.A dog kennel-a big one.It is as big and is larger than as elephantAs strong as HerculesAs steady as a brickwall.A prize or a present.

Queen Anne’s Summerhouse isBig like a forestShady.As mossy as a dark green penAs creepy as a spiders webAs crumbly as a pastryAs dusty as an ancient bookAs old as time.

Text by Shackleton Lower School

Turrets like massive, colossal chimneys.Railings like arrows.The bricks red like bloodRough as a creased jumper.

Queen Anne’s Summerhouse isLike an upside down foot stoolA giant’s footstool.It is like a tardis.The windows sparkle like stars.The bricks as red as a roaring fire.

Private like a diary.Moss like a green spongeDamp like a river.The bark like squishy brown mudThe trees soft like a lion’s mane.

Text by Cotton End Lower School

Invite by Amelia, Northill Lower School

Teacups by Shackleton Lower School Hat by Ailish, Southill Lower School

1872The estate was bought by Joseph Shuttleworth, a wealthy northern industrialist who had made his money in engineering.

Queen Anne’s Summerhouse is refurbished, with the addition of a fine terracotta balustrade and datestone. These were the years of estate shooting parties. The Shuttleworth Estate as it was now known, built a reputation for its pheasant and partridge shooting.

Keeper’s Cottage, down the hill from the summerhouse, was built for head gamekeeper Richard Aireton in 1878. Before this cottage was built the Aireton family was living in Queen Anne’s Summer-house. Whilst living there they lost two young daughters to scarletina (or scarlet fever) in 1876, whom they buried on the same day.

Hat by Emily, Southill Lower School

Writing by Alicja, Cauldwell Lower School Writing by Dontay, Cauldwell Lower School

Drawing by Sophie, Cotton End Lower School Writing by Libby, Cauldwell Lower School

Old postcard image of Queen Anne’s Summerhouse c1900 Diagram showing the balustrade and datestone added to the top of the summerhouse in 1878

Writing by Priya, Cauldwell Lower School Writing by Mundhir, Shackleton Lower School

Invite by Alistair, Northill Lower School Hat design by Charley, Southill Lower School

Invite by Benjamin, Northill Lower School Hat design by Toby, Southill Lower School

Pheasants by Northill Lower School KS1 Trees by Northill Lower School KS2

Text by Ceiren, Southill Lower School Text by Chloe, Southill Lower School

Text by James, Southill Lower School Text by Katie, Southill Lower School

Words by Cotton End Lower School

1940In 1940 the sole heir to the estate Richard Shuttleworth, met an early death in a flying accident. His grief-stricken mother Dorothy set up the Shuttleworth Trust in his memory. The Trust’s remit was primarily educational and while the college thrived, Queen Anne’s Summerhouse and Keeper’s Cottage, alone on thewarren, gradually fell into ruin.

2009Having already completed the restoration of Keeper’s Cottage, The Landmark Trust restores Queen Anne’s Summerhouse back to its former glory. Children from local schools participate in an education project, visiting the site and recording the work in progress. They meet craftsmen and women working on the building and the irrevocable yet friendly Mr Richard Aireton, gamekeeper to the estate.

Models by Cotton End Lower School

The Abandoned Summerhouse

Queen Anne’s Summerhouse is standing unseen and sadAnd empty and abandondedAnd here’s what else…

There are tired quiet swishy treesExhausted earthy skyMossy waxy bird pooCracked lumpy grey footstepsSilver shattered dead leavesLoud banging of the gunsBrown damp squishy mudOld rusty metal like a crunchy crispChilly bashing footstepsGloomy black dead leavesTall shooting of the gunsGreen smelly cementHuge grey scaffoldingBlack dark footstepsSweaty brown dead leavesSpiky rusty ringing of the gunsGloomy dark bang!There is exciting black drillingSweet nattering of exhausted peopleWhite bark on the silver birch treesBright yellow sandy cementMoist bright green plantsAnd breezy loud twittering of the birds.

Poem by Cotton End Lower School

Site visit with Southill and Northill Lower Schools Site visit with Cauldwell and Cotton End Lower Schools

Texture towers by Cauldwell Lower School

I saw a big bird of prey and I smelled sweet pollenI heard loud gunshots and felt thrilled to be thereI felt a jolt of shock when the gamekeeper threatened usI smelled the fresh air and I saw dark cloudsI felt the rough trunk of a tree and I saw poisonous foxglovesI could feel the old wrinkly trees and I smelled the freedom in the airI saw Mr Airetons house and I felt so happy I would sing out with joyI saw a dead bird on the floor and I could see the building being repairedI saw the smooth red bricksI heard all the rumbling machines fixing the house.

Senses by Northill Lower School KS2

I saw a mossy gravestoneI saw the horse’s graveyardI felt scared in a dark dellI felt shiveryI heard the wind whistling in my earsI felt snug in my coatI saw thick leavesI heard leaves crunching in the dellI heard a loud forkliftI felt extremely excitedI saw the hardworking buildersI heard the birds singing out their hearts.

I saw tall towers of foxglovesI felt leaves brushing against my skinI felt a shiver down my back in the dellI heard the chugging cement mixerI saw the bright orange deadly forkliftI heard the disturbing drillI saw the red eyed plastic ratI felt frozen with fear when I saw the gamekeeper

Senses by Northill Lower School KS2

Wall hanging by children from Shackleton Lower School

I heard the wonderful birds cheepingI felt the lovely glossy leavesI saw beautiful, poisonous foxgloves.

I heard rustling bushesI felt the prickly pine conesI saw a deep-down rabbit hole.

I heard a pheasant’s wing rustling in the leaves when it went up, up and away.I felt the surprising roughness of the barkI saw a hidden camouflaged nest.

I heard whispering treesI felt a bumpy rat skullI saw a huge Oak tree.

I smelled juicy green leavesI felt the spiky conker shellsI saw brown and yellow leaves twirling in the wind.

I smelt the long brackenI felt the damp in the darkness of the woodsI saw the glimmering Silver Birch.

I smelled the damp, musty cellarI felt the soft bricks of the summerhouseI saw floating dust.

I heard the whirring, rumbling cement mixerI felt excited to be thereI saw the cracked, old bricks.

Senses by Southill Lower School

Children from Northill Lower School

With thanks to :All the staff and volunteers at the participating schoolsThe Shuttleworth TrustModplanArtists Lucy Coltman and Anne-Marie CadmanWriter Meg HarperAnd finally, to all the enthusiastic, cheerful and industrious children who took part.

Trees by Cotton End Lower School

Edited by Kasia Howard, The Landmark Trust’s Education Officer