Teacher's Training College of Sarum St. Michael, Salisbury

This was established in 1841 as the diocesan training college to supply female teachers to National (Church of England) schools in the Salisbury diocese. There was one for male teachers based in Winchester. During the first 20 years the Principal, Mrs Duncan, increased the number of students from one to 60 and moved the college into the King's House in the Close. The students were given classes in all the subjects they would be expected to teach. These included English, history, geography, music, needlework, arithmetic, drawing, domestic economy and scripture. They were given teaching practise in the Model School or in one of the other Salisbury schools. Many of the students had already spent some years as pupil teachers. In 1899 extensions to the King's House allowed 98 students to be in residence and provided a chapel, dining hall, extra classroom, three dormitories, a students' common room,service rooms and recreation and drill halls. Electric lighting and heating was also installed.

In 1903 a large house with extensive grounds was bought at Barnard's Cross in St. Ann's Street and formally opened as an extension to the college on 2nd November 1904 when there were 50 students in residence. An HMI report in 1905 said of the college, 'teachers it sends out are hard working, high minded and intelligent'. Numbers continued to rise and in 1908 there were 4 third years, 48 second years and 46 junior students at the King's House. However by the 1930s numbers were falling as fewer teachers were needed and Barnard's Cross closed in 1938.

The baby boom after the end of the Second World War created a need for more teachers and from 1947 there were many new buildings at the King's House site over the next 25 years. In 1976 it was announced that the college would close and it was gradually run down, closing on 26th June 1978. Of the buildings used by the college, Barnard's Cross became a nurse's hostel, the King's House now houses the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, pictured here in 2003, the Wardrobe houses the military museum and the remainder of the King's House site was made into 85 flats and maisonettes.