Mayfield College, Marlborough

This was in existence by 1865 as a private school for girls at Mayfield Villa, 40 London Road, run by the Misses Smith. By 1897 it was being run by the Misses E.M. and R. Hugil, who continued until 1921. Between 1921 and 1945 it was still owned by the Hugils but was used as a girls' boarding house by Marlborough Grammar School to accommodate pupils from rural areas.

 

In 1945 it was sold to Mrs L. Wynburne who ran it as Mayfield College, a preparatory school for boys and girls. In the 1960s older pupils were taken but the school closed in 1968 and is now private housing.

 

Peter Beschorner writes, 'The school was empty and up for sale in 1947. My father negotiated to rent and ran the school with his wife, as a day school for infants and a boarding school for European students wishing to learn English. My father, the principal of the school, was a survivor of Dachau concentration camp who came to Britain in March 1939. After marrying Joan Soan an English girl, he taught at various schools in Henley and Oxford. Mr and Mrs Beschorner occupied the school in the summer of 1947 and redecorated the entire large premises single handed. It opened as a school in the autumn that year.

 

My mother, Joan Beschorner taught the infants who were all local Marborough children and my father and other teachers taught the students from Germany, France and other European countries.

My father was a professor of languages in Germany and Poland. Due to the expansion of the school and its popularity two boarding houses were added to the school, firsly in 1949 'Glebe House' in Mildenhall, near Marlborough and later, 'St Catherines' in Savernake Forest.

 

In 1950 the school put on a production of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' at the town hall. Mrs Beschorner, a keen artist exhibited in Marborough on several occasions. One of the students, who came from Ireland, was a keen boxer and sparred with other students at Marlborough College. So during this period, 'Mayfield College' became a close part of community activities in the town. The lovely Victorian mansion was improved and a tarmac playground complete with parallel bars was added by Mr Beschorner.

 

Sadly, due to a serious family problem, The Beschorner family had to leave the town in the spring of 1951 and the school was closed. This contribution to the history of 'Mayfield College' has been made by Peter Hans Beschorner, a pupil at the school from 1947-49 and the son of the late Hans Beschorner.'

 

Roderick Hunt attended the school from 1943-1951 and has kindly supplied the addition information:

 

In 1942, under its new head, Mrs Lilian Wynburne, the school moved to The Old Rectory situated at the top of Stone Bridge Lane.

In 1946 it moved to The Limes on The Green and then to its London Road site (next to Pelham Puppets) shortly afterwards. A number of the pupils who sat the 11+ exam, went on to attend Marlborough Grammar School.

 

After Dr Beschorner left, Mrs Wynburne returned to run the school. My mother taught handicrafts there from about 1953 to 1959 and I actually taught there briefly myself as a student teacher before attending Chester College. Another teacher at the school was Mrs Ann Golding, the wife of William Golding, the author. His son David Golding also attended Mayfield College. It is believed that Mrs Wynburne retired in in the early 1960s.